Fighting Destiny
by Sheherazade's Fable
Summary: AU X-men: Days of Future Past. Takes place after "Abandoning Peace." Six years after Cuba the Institute is gaining strength. Not all of Erik's skeletons have been revealed though, and matters are further complicated when a stranger shows up claiming to be from the future. Fighting destiny becomes the only way to protect not only the present, but the future as well. Canon pairings.
1. Chapter 1

April 7, 1968

"Shit!"

It was difficult for Erik to hear Lorna's curse over the sound of the alarm. Her eyes narrowed behind the metal headgear she'd been given, and he couldn't help but do the same. He glared at Sean, who threw up his hands defensively. The screwdriver he'd been using to disable the keypad was still clenched in one hand.

"I told you Beast should've been the one to do this!" he said.

"Forget it!" Erik snapped.

He glared at the keypad, and then at the door. In the very least, it had opened.

"Polaris, just get it and go!"

Lorna didn't hesitate. She ran through, her plaited green hair flying behind her. He wanted to go with her, but security kept flooding in. So, instead, he drew level with Darwin and Sean and blocked the door. The two of them looked around, wincing as the security leveled their guns.

"Any time now Mags," Darwin muttered.

Erik glared at him. He couldn't believe that that name had stuck. He hadn't even agreed to it. However, he flicked his wrist and the guns went flying. As the men watched in alarm Sean sucked in a deep breath. Darwin grew fossilized earmuffs and Erik clapped his hands over his ears.

His scream shattered the two glass panes next to them. The men fell to the floor, trying to jam their fingers in their ears. Once there Sean stopped screaming. Erik moved his hand and blocked off the security entrance that they had come from. It would hold for a few minutes.

"Polaris is taking a while," Darwin said.

"She'll be back in a few minutes," he said.

One of the men began to get up. Erik glared at him and the metallic fixtures began to move. They twisted and bound the men to the floor.

"Just making sure," he said.

Lorna raced back into the room, holding a folder underneath her arm.

"We have to get going," she said, "There's probably more on the way."

Erik nodded and they took off down the corridor that they had come from. The alarm was still going on, and he heard the pounding of feet.

"We've gotta go somewhere else," Darwin said.

"There aren't any other doors!" Sean said.

Darwin rolled his eyes. He turned one of his fists into rock and punched through the wall. Three more punches cleared a way to the outside. He did a mock bow to Sean.

"Fine," Sean muttered.

They hurried through. Lights were coming on around the compound and Erik cursed again. Next time they really did need to get Hank down there. His eyes flicked to the sky. Speaking of Hank, where was he?

The Blackbird screeched across the sky. It flew in low and the ramp lowered. Erik grabbed Sean by the strap of his uniform and Lorna grabbed Darwin. Then they took off into the air. It had taken them both a long time to learn how to fly by manipulating the earth's magnetic fields, but it was a trick worth having, especially since Sean's flight required altitude.

They piled into the plane and Hank closed the hatch. He looked back at them and shook his head.

"Do not look at me that way," Sean said, buckling himself in.

"I told you that Trask Industries had highly advanced security systems," said Hank, "Let me guess, you clipped the yellow wire instead of the green one, didn't you?"

"Shut up!"

Hank shook his head again and pressed the throttles forwards. Erik allowed himself to relax then. He looked at his daughter, who held up the folder triumphantly. He gave her a small nod in appreciation.

"And how'd the headgear work out?" he asked.

Lorna traced the crown like metallic headband that Hank had given her that night. Erik wasn't sure how it was held on, but it was an attempt to cancel out some of the scrapes that Lorna always seemed to be getting on her forehead. Hank had even woven some green into the working of the metal.

"Great," Lorna said.

She sat down, still clutching the folder. The mission of the X-men hadn't stopped with Shaw. Every now and then the government gave them a mission that they had a choice in accepting, but most of the ones that came their way had to do with shutting down Shaw's network. Not all of his associates had been captured, and some had escaped. Other threats were rising as the population slowly understood that mutants were among them.

So they had begun regular training. Six years had crawled by as they struggled to turn their solid foundation into something real. There was a school now, a school that housed a militia, but a school nonetheless.

Trask Industries had recently been making some uncomfortable weapon developments. They had gone to investigate, with Hank doing air reconnaissance and Sean tentatively assuring them that he had the security system down. He probably should have doubted him a bit more.

Erik knew what they would find in those folders though, and it made him sick. The ignorance he saw on a daily basis made him want to scream. Despite Charles's assurances, things didn't seem to be getting better. People were foolish and so many of them hurt mutants just because they didn't understand.

_Everyone alright?_

It seemed like they were within range of Charles's telepathy. The Blackbird was getting faster.

_Yes, although I think that we should keep Sean on aerial surveillance in the future,_ Erik thought, _Or make better use of Raven. _

_We all agreed a quick in and out operation would be best. Or would have been if things had gone according to plan._

Erik snorted.

_I hope you and Lorna aren't too tired_, Charles thought, _We have that recruitment trip tomorrow._

Erik groaned. He knew what that meant: a long flight and Charles wheedling parents into doing the right thing for their children. The number of children he'd seen hurt by their so-called parents, their siblings, the world in general, was such a waste.

Still, he supposed it was part of his job now.

_And tell Lorna that there was a letter for her. I left it in front of her locker._

Erik smiled to himself. Well, that should make his daughter happy.

"Lorna," Erik said, "Charles said that you have mail."

His daughter's eyes lit up.

"It's in front of your locker," he said.

Lorna nodded, clutching the folder and looking impatiently out of the window. When they landed he watched her sprint right out the door into the small locker area next to the plane. The changing rooms were next door: it had been too cramped at the time to put them together.

He'd always been impressed with the catacomb of metallic tunnels that Hank had managed to build beneath the school. He hadn't done more than nod in approval when he'd seen it, he wasn't going to gush about things like Charles and Moira did, but it was still impressive.

Erik shook his head as he got out of the plane. He saw Lorna rip open the letter and begin to read. Once upon a time Charles might have just left the letter in her room. Instead he wanted her to have it right away. He'd thought that Charles had been somewhat soppy before he'd married Moira. In the past four years since the marriage, he figured that Charles and Moira had gotten much, much worse.

Now that Moira was pregnant Charles wasn't doing much other than stay by her side. They filled out forms together and Charles would go with her to all of her appointments. It made having a private conversation that wasn't conducted by telepathy all but impossible.

While it annoyed him, it also made him a little envious. Once upon a time he'd been the one driving his wife to those appointments. He inwardly bit his cheek, his thoughts drifting once again to Susanna. In the six years since Shaw had ordered Emma to destroy Susanna's mind, she hadn't so much as twitched. Charles had been into her mind repeatedly, but he hadn't even found a flicker of a thought.

He stopped biting his cheek. Not a day went by that he didn't think of her, didn't visit her. And yet, as each day went by, he could tell that he was forgetting a little more. Her animate face was fading from his memory, but there was more than that. It was getting harder to conjure up the sound of her laughter, what her slight but calloused hands felt like against his cheeks.

Erik shook his head again. No, he couldn't think about that. Instead he watched as the other members of the team began to go to their lockers, looking at their things and trying to find something normal before reentering the world above.

"The hell?"

He looked over. Lorna was crumpling up the letter in her hand. The boys were slowly backing away from her.

"Lorna?" Erik asked.

She didn't look at him, just kept crumpling up the letter into a tighter ball. Her eyes were glowing green, and Erik put his hands in his pockets. He nodded at the other boys, who quickly fled the room as fast as they could.

He waited a minute longer before speaking.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

Lorna glared at him. She tossed the wad of paper at him and he caught it.

"Why don't you just read it?" she snapped.

He raised his eyebrow began smoothing out the letter. If this continued for much longer then he was going to get angry. Her attitude was wearing his patience thin. Then Erik read the first three paragraphs. He looked up at her. Now Erik understood her emotions all too well.

"They're extending Alex's tour of duty for another three months," he said.

Lorna punched the side of her locker. It dented inwards without even touching her hand.

"We all knew that this could happen," Erik said.

"He shouldn't even be there," snapped Lorna, "I told him not to go!"

Erik nodded. He didn't believe that Alex should have left either. They were fighting their own war here, one that was much more important than some petty scuffle in Vietnam. Who cared about communists when their own race was in danger?

Besides, there were ways out of it. While Canada hadn't been mentioned, that would have been absurd, Charles could have gone down to the recruitment office. He could have used his telepathy to make the officer forget about Alex all together. They had already done it for so many other students and teachers, even if Erik had to convince Charles of his Machiavellian tactics.

There had been other ways too, ones that would prick Charles's conscience less. Alex could simply apply for his master's, stay in college longer. There were ways to get him out, loopholes and exemptions to make things work.

Alex had been adamant though. Erik vaguely remembered some talk about his father, but he had been too angry to listen at the time. Lorna had been angry as well, and he'd heard more than one of their shouting matches from the living room. Charles had been thankful that the other students were out for summer break at the time. Erik hadn't cared.

Alex was not the boy he had imagined for his daughter. He was too headstrong, too arrogant and perhaps a touch righteous. He hadn't doubted that Alex loved her though. He'd had his suspicions in the beginning, but he'd watched the two of them together. Alex would hesitate to hold her hand, would arrange surprise motorcycle rides or study with Lorna even though she was a year behind in her work just to spend time with her. The helpless look he'd give her when her back was turned struck uncomfortably close to home for Erik.

His decision to go into the military seemed to negate all of that care. Erik knew that Alex still loved his daughter. The fact that Lorna, now that she had taken off her uniform's gloves, had put a small engagement ring back on her hand spoke to that.

She twisted it back and forth, glaring down at it.

"I want him home dad," she said, "Not over there. He's stupid for going over there."

"You'll hear no arguments from me," said Erik.

Lorna waved the hand that didn't have the engagement ring on it. The one that did was clenched tightly into a fist now.

"I don't know about the politics of it, the protests, any of that," she said, "But I just think there are more important things than that. Why don't we focus on the shit going on over here before going over there? Didn't he have more important things here?"

"Like mutant rights?" Erik said.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that that wasn't what she meant. She set her hand down.

"Yeah," Lorna said, "But, other things too. Things like me."

Erik sat down next to her, placing the letter there.

"You both agreed that you should wait a few more years," Erik said.

He remembered that very clearly. It had been one of the first questions he'd asked when Alex had asked him for his blessing before proposing to his daughter. It was, he admitted, old-fashioned. He thought that Lorna wouldn't have appreciated it.

To his surprise, neither had Alex. Alex had always known that Erik hadn't been particularly fond of him though, so he wanted to make sure that there weren't going to be any problems. That had been the part that had touched Erik. He had been willing to brave Erik's wrath and marry Lorna anyway, but he knew how much she loved her family. He'd even asked Anya for her opinions on the ring, provided she keep it a secret from her sister.

Letting his firstborn go was difficult. Although she wasn't married yet, the knowledge that she would be soon was enough. He didn't think that he could have let her go to anyone more dedicated to her than Alex.

He still remembered Alex saying that he wanted an engagement of at least three years. They were young, just starting out, and at the time neither of them had jobs or a source of income. Things were different now though. Now that Alex was in the military he was getting a steady paycheck. He would have been able to support the two of them if their lives took them from the Institute.

He'd often wondered if that had been one of the deciding factors for Alex's enlistment.

"I'm not talking about us getting married right now," said Lorna, "I'm just..."

Erik put his hand on Lorna's shoulder.

"I know," he said, "You want him with you."

Lorna glared down at her hands.

"I don't want him dying in some foreign land for some cause that I don't understand," she said, "I don't know why he's over there."

"Me neither," Erik said, "You'll remember that I told him he was a fool."

Lorna nodded and sighed.

"When he gets back, this had better be over," she said, "Either that or I'll run off to Canada with him."

Erik chuckled.

"I don't think we need to take it that far," said Erik, "We'll figure something out though. I know we will."

He picked up the letter and smoothed it out.

"Read the rest of this though," he said, "It will make you feel a little better. I think he wants to get back to you just as badly as you want him."

He placed the letter into her hands. She grasped it and nodded.

"Thanks dad," she said, "I...I needed someone to tell me that."

"It can help, no doubt," Erik said, "Get some rest. We have a recruitment trip tomorrow."

Lorna cracked a smile. She knew how much her father hated those.

"Does it look promising?" she asked.

"So so," Erik said.

He stretched.

"They're twins," he said, "I can't remember their first names, but apparently their last name is Maximoff."

* * *

_**A/N: **Nice to see you all again! I'm pretty excited about this particular fic and, as I promised, the twins are going to be in this one. It's going to take a little bit to introduce the time travelling element, so I can imagine this fic ending up longer than the other two. Don't worry: I'm going to keep up my daily schedule. _


	2. Chapter 2

April 8, 1968

Charles stretched out his fingers as the rental car sped through the small neighborhood. He had been on many trips since he had recruited his very first pupils. He'd never quite gotten used to time differences though.

Next to him, Erik stared out of the window. He looked troubled, as did his daughter, and Charles could guess why. It hadn't taken very long for news of the contents of Lorna's letter to spread around the X-men. Everyone knew that Alex wouldn't be coming back for a few months. Charles wondered if he should say something before they got to the Maximoff household. It wasn't a pleasant thought to know that someone else controlled the fate of someone who was soon to be part of your family.

He'd seen Lorna talking quietly with Raven that morning. Anya had been there as well, looking at the two older girls. Unlike her sister, she was a listener, someone who watched and waited. Raven had hugged Lorna before she'd headed off. He hadn't seen any words that passed between the two sisters: he'd decided that he should probably give them their privacy.

He was glad that Lorna had made friends with Raven. It had been good for both of them, he was sure.

"So, what can this kids do?"

The question took him off guard. He looked up and saw Lorna glancing at him in the review mirror. For some reason she had insisted on driving. She'd wrapped up her hair: they'd agreed that the parents probably didn't need to be introduced to every facet of the mutant experience at once. Some people needed a gradual build-up.

"Well, according to Cerebro, the boy, Peter, can run at high speeds," Charles said, "I'm less certain what it is that his sister can do. It's..."

He frowned. Even through Cerebro it had been difficult to understand.

"Interesting," he said.

"Interesting," Lorna repeated.

"She does something to her surroundings," Charles said, "It's difficult to describe."

"Alright then," Lorna said, "Must be a fun-filled household."

"They don't have any other siblings, so it means that we may encounter some stiff resistance from their mother," Charles said, "No parent enjoys having all of their children taken away. I didn't see any father in the picture either. Hopefully she'll understand that this is the best option for her children-"

Lorna groaned.

"So there's going to be a scene. Remind me why I go on road trips with you again?" she asked.

"To show that, yes, there is a female presence at the school," Charles said.

"So Moira's not travelling anymore?" asked Lorna.

"Considering that she's just reached the eight and a half month mark, no," said Charles, "I requested that she refrain from doing so."

"She must have loved that," Erik said.

Charles chuckled and leaned back.

"If you must know, we did have a slight disagreement over the matter," he said.

Lorna smirked.

"Did she call you fussy?"

Charles felt color rush to his face.

"I am not-"

"You are though," Erik said, "When...when Susanna was pregnant with Anya, she actually went into labor when she was closing up the diner."

Charles caught the slight hitch in his friend's voice. He cleared his throat.

"I know she's perfectly capable," Charles said, "I just worry."

"Like you do over everything," Lorna said.

"Less talking, more driving," Charles said.

Lorna rolled her eyes and turned another corner. A few seconds later she hit the brakes and the car stopped. Charles looked to the side and saw the post box. It read "Maximoff" in chunky but uniform letters. The house looked normal enough, and he guessed that whoever inside was upper middle class. It even had a white picket fence.

"Are you ready Erik?" he asked.

His friend frowned and crossed his arms. Charles knew that look.

"Lorna, do you mind waiting for us outside?" he asked.

Her mouth pulled into a tight line.

"Yes," she said.

He rubbed his temples.

"Please?" he tried.

Lorna mad a face, but got out of the car anyway. He watched her as she leaned against the car. Her arms were folded, almost a perfect mirror of her father. Charles turned to Erik.

"Is there anything that you want to talk about?" he asked.

"Not really," Erik said.

Charles waited. Erik had begun tapping the car window absently.

"We all wish that Alex was home safe," Charles said, "I understand that, with your family's connection, things are difficult."

"No...that's not it."

Charles raised his eyebrows.

"Well, if that's not it, then what is?"

Erik lapsed into silence for another few minutes.

"I can wait," Charles said, "Mrs. Maximoff is going to be irritated that we're so late, but-"

"The more I think about it, the more I think that the Alex my daughter is going to get back will not be the same one she sent off," said Erik.

Charles bit his lip.

"I've been worried about that as well," he said, "Ever since Darwin and Hank started volunteering at the Veteran's Hospital they've told me some stories."

"I've heard them as well," Erik said.

He sighed.

"Alex left my daughter to chase after some pipe dream," said Erik, "Some idealized version of what the world was supposed to be when he had stronger duties at home, a much bigger war to fight."

His friend's words made him wince, for several reasons. He decided to focus on the simplest one.

"We're not in a war Erik," Charles said.

"Not yet, no," Erik said.

He tapped on the glass again.

"Do not get me wrong: I am angry with my future son-in-law," he said, "But I also worry what he's going to put my daughter through in the next few years. You've heard the media, and you know what soldiers are doing over there. Alex has always had an idealized view of soldiers. What do you think this will do to him? What do you think my daughter will get back from this war?"

"Alex would never cause Lorna any pain," Charles said.

"So you mean that he didn't leave her to fight on foreign soil in a war not our own?" Erik asked.

"Unfortunately, the war is our own," said Charles, "Alex believes that he is defending his country-"

"Who he is should come second to what he is," Erik said.

Charles pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting tired of having these conversations with Erik.

"How does Lorna feel about all this?" asked Charles.

"I haven't mentioned it to her, but I imagine that it has crossed her mind," he said.

Erik rubbed his temples.

"If he comes back broken, I don't think that my daughter should have to spend the rest of her life fixing him," Erik said.

Now he saw the root of the problem. Charles wondered just how many of his friend's insecurities went back to his early life.

"I don't think she sees it like that," Charles said, "People don't break, not really. And they certainly don't get fixed like that Erik. They get supported, propped up by the people that love them."

Erik closed his eyes. Charles waited, his hands in his lap. He doubted that anything else that he could say would help any more. The concept of forgiveness and hope was one that Erik had always struggled to embrace.

"Let's go meet the Maximoffs," Erik said.

Charles nodded. Although he knew his friend still needed to talk about the subject, he also knew that he wasn't going to do any more talking that day. He grabbed his briefcase filled with paperwork and two brochures of the school. He wanted to make sure that each of the teens had one. Hopefully they wouldn't have to wait too long to get a response.

Lorna didn't say anything as they walked up to the house. She had a lot of trust in him that she didn't need to be in the conversation. The fact that her father wasn't filling her in on it. Perhaps that was for the best.

He began looking around. Charles noticed that the welcome mat was scuffed up, as though someone had run a car over it. That must be Peter.

"Just follow my lead everyone," he said.

There were a few nods as he knocked on the door.

"It's open!"

Charles opened the door and walked into the hallway. He could see someone putting something away in the living room, but he couldn't see their face. It was definitely a woman though, so he supposed it was Mrs. Maximoff.

"So you're the people from the school?" she asked.

"Yes," Charles said.

He was often the one who did most of the talking when they went on a recruitment trip.

"Tell me, are Peter and Wanda here?" he asked.

"No," Mrs. Maximoff said, finishing stacking some magazines, "They're still at school. I figured we could talk first. I have a few questions."

"Naturally," Charles said.

Next to him Erik furrowed his brow. Charles wasn't sure why. Mrs. Maximoff wasn't facing them, but she wasn't being particularly hostile either. She walked to the window and stared outside it for a minute.

"This place...if I send them to it...will they...?"

Charles frowned.

"They will be among other children their age, children with similar abilities-"

"Will they come back normal?" she asked.

"Normal?" Erik asked.

Charles winced. He should have seen that one coming. He swallowed, hoping to intercede before she said something else that set Erik off. Lorna looked angry, but she was better at holding her tongue. For a little bit. At least he didn't have to worry about two volatile Lensherrs yet.

Before he got a chance to speak Mrs. Maximoff whipped around, her eyes narrowing. Whereas before she had been nervous, she was furious now.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded.

Erik took a step back, his face drawn.

"Magda," he said, his voice sour, "You're different when you're wearing your wedding ring and using your real last name."

Charles raised his eyebrows.

"Um, you two know each other?" he asked.

Magda laughed, but it sounded bitter. Lorna's face was becoming confused, her eyes darting between her father and the woman in front of them.

"You certainly have a funny taste in employees Professor Xavier," she said.

Erik crossed his arms.

"It's been what, fifteen years?" he asked.

"More like seventeen," Magda snapped, "Where did you get to?"

"Elsewhere," he said, "I don't appreciate being used just as much as the next man."

Magda rolled her eyes.

"Just as it isn't fun when your lover says someone else's name," she said, "Who exactly was Susanna anyway?"

Erik's eyes narrowed further and Lorna took in a sharp breath. Charles began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. The tension in the room became stronger with every passing second. The urge to run away was powerful. It was probably worse for Lorna, but he really wanted to get out of there too.

He had to think of Peter and Wanda first though. They needed all the help they could get. He seriously doubted they had a shot at getting them into the school now though. Charles looked back at Erik and coughed.

"You know, Erik, it might be better if you wait in the car-" he said.

"No, he stays right here!" Magda snapped.

She walked closer, her expression getting angrier by the second.

"Do you have any idea what you did?" she snapped.

Erik's eyes flickered to Lorna. When he spoke, his voice was much more controlled.

"I had a foolish dalliance with a woman who later turned out to be married when I was twenty two," Erik said, the words acid, "We do a lot of foolish things when we're in our twenties. Where is your husband anyway?"

Charles began to wonder if there was any possibility that anything good would come out of this meeting.

"Always the victim," Magda said.

"You're saying that to me?" Erik asked.

"It's your fault!" she yelled, "It's your fault I have freaks for children!"

The room fell silent. Charles felt his throat go dry and he glanced at Lorna. Her mouth was slightly open, but she was clever. Charles knew that she was making the same connections that he was.

Oh God.

"Excuse me?" Erik asked, his voice still venomous.

"Mrs. Maximoff, the woman with the speedster son and the witch daughter," she said, "It didn't take me long to figure out where those things came from."

"Not from me!"

"You still control metal, don't you?"

"Which has nothing to do with your children!" snapped Erik, "Any children that you had with your husband-!"

"He couldn't have children!" Magda said, "It was one of the only things I liked about him."

Erik scoffed, disbelief still radiating across his face. Charles was less certain, and he could see that Lorna's gaze was fixed on her father, her expression losing its angry intelligence and turning to that of a deer caught in the headlights.

"You can't expect me to believe that-"

"Wanda and Peter are your children?" Magda said, "Yes, I do. Because they are!"

* * *

**_A/N:_**_Thanks for all of the reviews! To the people who reviewed but have private messaging disabled, thanks too! I'd like to reassure juti that the series isn't over yet. Thanks to Ella for my first review, and it's nice to see you again DranySmallfoot!_


	3. Chapter 3

April 8, 1968

"Hey, the witch is back."

Wanda paused for a few seconds, her hands hovering over her cards. She had just set up the tarot cards appropriately for a reading. She forced herself to continue, not looking up at the approaching footsteps.

"Curse anyone today?"

She didn't answer, just flipped one card over. It was easier that way. The Emperor. She snorted quietly to herself, not loud enough for them to hear. It didn't look like this reading was going to make any particular sense.

"She never says anything you know."

"Why doesn't she look at us?"

It never seemed to cross their minds that she didn't want to see them. They were stupid like that. Wanda flipped over another card. The Empress. Weird. She'd never gotten the two of them in one reading before.

"Think we should try prodding her a little bit then?"

Her fingers paused over the next card. She bit the inside of her cheek. Wanda knew what prodding meant. Why did they keep bothering her? Wanda thought that they would grow bored if they didn't get any sort of reaction. Apparently not.

She turned the next card over anyway. Hierophant.

"Do you think we should just turn the table over?"

Perhaps it was time to speak.

"I'd prefer it if you don't," she said.

There were a few scattered chuckles.

"She speaks."

Wanda sighed. She began gathering up her cards. There was no chance she was going to get a good reading now anyway.

"Leaving?"

"It appears so," she said.

A hand slammed down on the table. Her heart was thudding painfully inside her chest, and she paused again. Then, still not looking up, she began gathering up her cards.

"Hey, look at me!"

A hand grabbed her by the chin and jerked her head upwards. Wanda still managed to avert her eyes so she wouldn't see the person who was yelling at her. It was probably childish, but she wasn't going to give them any sort of satisfaction. Heat flowed into her fingertips. Maybe it was time.

"Take your grubby hands off my sister. Didn't anyone teach you hygiene? Sheesh."

The hand let go of her face. Wanda looked back down at her cards, the warmth vanishing.

"Piss off Maximoff."

"Wait, do you mean me or her?" her brother asked, "Cause we both have the same name. If ya mean both of us then you shoulda pluralized-"

"I mean you Peter!"

"Aha. Nope," Peter said cheerfully.

She could hear his lips smacking together even though she couldn't see him. He was chewing gum. Again.

"By the way, your mommy was in the office today. Didja wet the bed again? Didja?"

"Don't mind him," someone else said, "He's as much a freak as his sister."

Wanda held her breath. Her brother hated that word.

"Ooooh, we're using names now? Okay, here's a few for you," Peter said, "Ugly, bastard, deformed, shitface, stupid, asshole, fat, sweaty, like, really sweaty. My teacher, you know, Ms. Johnson, she said that the source of the Nile was in Africa. But I think that you-"

She heard a fist move through the air.

"Too slow."

There were a few more motions. She didn't bother to look.

"Dude, you are sloooooow."

She grinned again, finally finishing up with her tarot cards. Wanda put them in her pocket and got up. She looked up at Peter, letting their eyes meet but not looking at anyone else. Her twin was amused, having fun. It seemed a shame to spoil it, but she had to do something before he did something rash.

"Come on," she said, "I think we're done here."

"Yeah, I'm bored," Peter said, yawning.

He walked quickly over to her side, dodging another punch as he did. Her brother took her arm when he reached her, guiding her away from the crowd.

"I see you again, you're dead Maximoff!" one of the boys yelled.

"Me or her?"

"You!"

"Aha. Nah. You'll have to catch me first," said Peter, "Make sure ya don't slip on your sweat on the way over."

He continued to propel Wanda out of the area. They were a block away from the school's courtyard before he spoke.

"Ya shoulda jinxed em."

"I wish you'd stop calling it that," Wanda said.

"Do you have a better name for it?" asked Peter, cracking his neck.

"Not especially," she said, "I just don't want it to be called that."

"Whatever," Peter said.

She looked thoughtfully over her shoulder.

"He's not going to forget that you know," said Wanda.

"Good," Peter said, "I don't like it when sweaty assholes decide to jerk my sister around."

"I don't need you protecting me. I could've taken care of it," said Wanda.

"But you wouldn't have," Peter said, "Not really. Besides, I needed money for the drive-in."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I took his wallet."

Wanda snorted with laughter. Peter grinned at her as they turned the corner.

"It has his credit card in it," he said, "Wanna go to the mall and-that's a new car."

She stopped. Her brother was right: there was an unfamiliar car in their driveway.

"I'll go check it out."

Wanda's hair whipped around her as her brother ran past. A second later he stood next to her, holding what she thought was the car's registration.

"Check this out," he said, "Rental."

He waved the papers in front of her face before running back and putting them away.

"What did you do this time?" Wanda asked.

"Nothing to attract the FBI," Peter said.

"Are they FBI?"

"Don't think so," Peter said.

He gestured to the house.

"Wanna check it out?" he asked.

Wanda nodded, biting the inside of her cheek. They walked up to their house, Peter hopping from one foot to another in excitement. He really was too happy about the possibility of getting arrested and locked up for the rest of his life. That was Peter.

She picked up the spare key from beneath the welcome mat and quietly unlocked the door. Once they were inside the hall she could hear shouting.

"It's your fault! It's your fault I have freaks for children!"

Wanda felt a lump form in her throat. It was a familiar, choking sensation. Her mother's enraged screams from when she'd first displayed her powers echoed in her head. It had been years ago, the last time they'd had an actual conversation.

"She's in fine form today," Peter mumbled.

She forced a smile and nudged her brother on the shoulder. He grinned back. She didn't feel better, not at all, but it was easier to think of her relationship with her brother than it was to think of her mother. Peter more than just her brother, he was her friend, her confidante.

At least she still had him.

"Excuse me?"

The voice was dark and menacing. It reminded her of the time her mother had screamed at her for accidentally changing the table into a chair and Peter had rushed to her defense. She'd never heard Peter get so angry before.

"Mrs. Maximoff, the woman with the speedster son and the witch daughter. It didn't take me long to figure out where those things came from."

"Maybe we should go downstairs, eat some twinkies," Peter muttered, "Whatever this is, we can figure it out later.'

Wanda nodded and turned towards the stairs.

"Not from me!"

"You still control metal, don't you?"

She paused. Peter tensed as well, looking a little curiously now at the living room. This was sounding strangely familiar.

"Which has nothing to do with your children!" the other voice snapped, "Any children that you had with your husband-!"

"He couldn't have children! It was one of the only things I liked about him."

She took a step closer. Hearing that her mother's husband hadn't been her father hadn't been anything new. She'd grown up listening to that argument. It had only stopped when he died when she was seven. Things had gotten a little better after that. Then Peter got faster and Wanda began "jinxing" people.

This sounded like something different was happening. She shared a look with Peter before taking a hesitant step towards the living room.

"You can't expect me to believe that-"

"Wanda and Peter are your children?" her mother said, "Yes, I do. Because they are!"

She turned to Peter.

"Our dad?" he whispered.

She felt something leap inside her chest. Wanda moved a little closer, wondering how she should introduce herself. The man in the next room, whoever he was, whyever he was here, he was her father. How should she deal with that?

"Dad?"

There was more silence. Wanda glanced at Peter. Someone else is in the room, the voice feminine, curious and unhappy. The man was her father too. A sister?

"Dad, is what she's saying-?"

"No."

The word was simple, but she could hear the anguish and determination in it.

"No, they...don't you dare try to shove off your children on me!"

Wanda recoiled, feeling physically stung. She could feel tears blurring her vision. Logically there was no reason why this man would want to suddenly have two seventeen year old children. It had been stupid to hope that she could have a parent somewhere that wanted her.

Or a sister for that matter.

"Don't worry about that," her mother said, "I never expected you to deal with the mess you made. Looks like you dealt with at least one mess though. Good for you."

There was a noise, almost as though something was vibrating in the other room.

"Only mess in here is you."

"Lorna, calm yourself," a quiet voice said.

The vibrating continued.

"You can get out of here right now, and take your fancy freak school with you!" her mother shouted.

Wait, a school? Other people like them? There was a place where they wouldn't feel alone, somewhere away from their mother? She gestured to the room. Peter nodded and, together, they walked into the room.

Everyone went silent, as though someone had sucked the air out of the room. She saw that the vibrating was coming from the metal objects around the room. They stopped abruptly when they walked in. There were more people than she'd thought.

There was a man with piercing blue eyes and brown hair standing next to a girl with her hair wrapped up. Another man was standing there, a few feet away from her mother. She knew who he was automatically. Wanda recognized his eyes. She could see his jaw reflected in the girl next to him, the girl looking at them as though they were ghosts.

Lorna. Their sister.

"And I guess we don't get a say in any of this?" Peter asked.

Her mother glared at her.

"You're home early," she said.

"There were some assholes in the park," Peter said helpfully, "Ya know, being jerks, not that you'd care or anything. What's this about a school?"

She felt the wind whistle by her ear. A briefcase next to the man with blue eyes opened. Peter returned to her side, unfolding a brochure. It looked like a nice place.

"Both of you need to leave here right now!" her mother said.

"I don't think we do," Wanda said.

She looked over at the blue-eyed man. Wanda had to force herself not to talk to the man she knew was her father or the girl who must be her sister. What would she say, especially after what he had said about her to her mother? Wanda didn't have an answer to that.

She decided to ask something much simpler.

"What's your college prep program like?" she asked the man with blue eyes.

"We offer several courses that-" the man began.

"No!" her mother yelled, "You're not going! Do you hear me?"

Wanda felt a red film drop in front of her eyes. Enough was enough.

"Why?" she asked, her voice sounding gravelly, "It's not like we're wanted here. It's not like you ever wanted us!"

Her fingertips were vibrating, warmth flowing through them. She knew that was a bad thing, but she had to keep going.

"So why can't you let us go, away from where these dumb kids shove you into lockers and think you do blood sacrifices just because you carry around a pack of tarot cards!" she snapped.

The red grew darker.

"Where you yelled at Peter for hours when you saw what he could do!" she said, "It's awesome mom, why could you never see that-?"

"Hey, Wanda?" Peter murmured.

She blinked as her brother took her hand.

"Doesn't matter," he said, "It's okay, right Wanda? It's okay."

She blinked again and looked at the ceiling. Large cracks had appeared there, and she could see that the wallpaper, carpet, and window treatment were different. Red sparks danced around them before disappearing. Her mother was shaking, her eyes fixed on Wanda.

Wanda swallowed, slouching in on herself.

"If you want to go so bad, then get out of here," her mother said.

She looked at the man with dark eyes.

"I hope you'll have better luck with them than I did," she spat, "But I doubt it."

"I think anyone would have better luck than someone like you," Lorna said.

Her voice was sharp and defiant. Wanda watched her mother glare at Lorna, but Lorna was unflinching. She turned slowly to Wanda and Peter. Lorna was still stiff, and she wasn't looking at their father, but she was still together.

"Come on," she said, "Let's go pack."


	4. Chapter 4

April 8, 1968

"So how do you do this one?" Anya asked.

Hank looked over from his notebook and glanced at Anya's papers. She was trying to make a scientifically accurate kite, a child after his own heart. He was more pleased than he liked to admit that she still enjoyed spending time in his lab after six years.

"You need to divide by 'X,'" he said.

"Oh," Anya said.

She erased her scribbles and continued working. Hank went back to his own work and finished up his last equation. He'd been doing some repairs on the Blackbird and he'd found out, to his irritation, that there were several physical problems. He wanted to get started on the Blackbird Mark II as soon as possible.

"I'm done," Anya announced, "Can you look this over for me?"

"Sure," Hank asked.

He picked up her papers.

"I wanna finish it before I leave," Anya said.

"Leave for where?" asked Hank.

Anya frowned.

"I told you this," she said, "My Girl Scout troop is going camping. I sold a ton of cookies to help fundraise. Everyone knows."

"Oh, right, right," Hank said, "And no, not everyone knows this."

"Don't you remember the cookies?"

He sighed.

"Yes, I do. I don't think I ever lost that weight," he said.

"Me neither," Anya said, "I really like Girl Scouts. They're teaching me how to do these great knots."

"Which explains the curtain chords that I couldn't draw this morning," he said.

Anya laughed.

"Alex said that, when he got back, he'd teach me some of the knots they make him do over there," Anya said.

Her voice became quiet towards the end. Hank wondered if he should say something. He was twenty-four now and he still never knew what to do in situations like these. He hadn't even managed to be alone in a room with Raven for more than thirty seconds after the breakup.

As glad as he was that he had broken up with her, he was smart enough to know that you shouldn't try to force two incompatible forces together, it was still strange. He'd never had to be around a girl that he'd broken up with before. He'd never broken up with a girl before at all. It had been more rejection.

And if he couldn't solve his own social woes, then just what chance did he have of helping other people? Luckily Anya never seemed down for long.

"I was wondering if you wanted to help me pack for my camping trip later," she said, brightening, "It's not for a while, but, I just figured, since you've been camping and I haven't, that you might know what I should bring."

"I haven't been camping," Hank said.

"You've been on those training things in the woods," said Anya, "That counts."

Hank winced. The extended training sessions that they had been on in the woods would bear little resemblance to anything that Anya was likely to experience with her troop. For one, he was pretty sure that they weren't required to do twenty push-ups every morning before breakfast.

"I'll make sure that you have plenty of water-resistant and warm clothes," he said, "It gets pretty cold out there at night."

Anya smiled.

"Thanks!" she said.

She checked her watch.

"Oh," she said, "I need to go change mom's IV bag. Be right back!"

Anya skipped out of the room. She said it like it was so normal, and for her he supposed that it was. Perhaps routine allowed her to deal with things. That had been her routine for the past six years, practically a childhood hobby. It made him sick to think of that, but it was true.

There was a noise from outside. Hank leaned out peered out. It looked like Charles and Erik were back with Lorna, and possibly more students. It only served to remind him about Alex again. He wished he could do something for the Lensherr family as a whole, say something that could help. It was a futile wish, but at least they could always trust each other.

* * *

"So, um, my name's Wanda," Wanda said, "And this is my brother Peter."

"I know."

"We're twins."

"I am aware."

Terse words were all that she had managed to draw from her father during the entire plane ride. She hadn't even found it in her to ask any real questions until they had landed in New York. She knew that she should be mourning what had happened with her mother, but the less she thought about it the less chance she'd have to cry. And she couldn't cry.

Peter, though her beloved brother, wouldn't understand. His powers had been apparent for longer than hers had been, and he'd been hated longer by their mother. Wanda had been disliked for her defense of him, but Peter had told Wanda a year ago that he didn't feel anything for their mother anymore. After everything that they had been through, he wouldn't understand Wanda's sadness over parting.

Then there was her father and her sister. He was something safe to focus on, or at least she had thought so at the time. He seemed angry, furious, but he hadn't lashed out at them yet. Lorna had just sat still, staring straight ahead and blinking. Maybe she was just figuring things out.

Again, Peter had decided to let her do most of the talking when she mustered the courage. He'd just ask all of his questions at once, unable to wait for answers. So she had been left to figure out the timing of the questions. All the while she saw the man with blue eyes, who had introduced himself as Charles Xavier, look uncomfortably at her father from his place in the driver's seat.

She coughed.

"Um, are you married?" she asked.

Charles bowed his head. Wanda wondered just how that question was indelicate.

"Yes," he said.

His initial reaction to their presence made a lot of sense now. She couldn't imagine any wife being pleased that her husband had two illegitimate children, especially when there was already one child. They could take care of that though. Wanda would be nice and polite. If her father's wife didn't mind that he was a mutant, then maybe she wouldn't mind that they were mutants either. It would be nice to add someone to her count of people who didn't judge her.

"Um, can we meet her?" Wanda asked.

Her father turned his head and she shrunk under his glare. Lorna was blinking rapidly.

"When she's ready, of course," she said, "And if you're willing. I know tha-"

"My wife has been in a vegetative state for the last six years," he said.

Wanda bit her lip. That's why it was an insensitive question. Peter let out a low whistle.

"Whoa. What happened there?"

Wanda elbowed her brother in the ribs.

"Ouch! Hey, what's wrong with you?"

"It's not our business," Wanda hissed.

"Why not?" asked Peter, "I mean, she's kinda our stepmom-"

"No, she isn't," her father said.

His voice was flat and irritated. Peter made a face and Wanda shook her head. She had never imagined what it would be like to meet her birth father before. It had seemed, at best, impossible. Wanda could tell that things were going poorly though, and she wanted to try to salvage them.

"Some asshole tried to kill her. Didn't go right."

She turned around. Lorna had stopped staring straight ahead. She was starting to unwrap the scarf around her head.

"Oh," Wanda said.

Lorna shrugged, but it was a bitter gesture. She stopped trying to unwrap the scarf.

"Um, are there...do we have...I mean...do you have any other siblings?" Wanda asked.

The phrasing was awkward, but she could tell that her father was having trouble connecting her and her brother to him. It was just the shock. It must be. Things would be fine in a bit if they just waited.

"I...we have a younger sister," said Lorna, her voice controlled, "Her name's Anya. She's twelve."

Wanda twisted her hands together. This was getting worse. Not only did he have a wife he was grieving over, he also had not one but two children by her. It was going to be difficult to tell Anya that she had two half siblings floating around now. Lorna was being talkative, but Anya might not be. Twelve was very young.

"Is she like, you know?" Wanda said, gesturing to herself.

"Well-"

"Stop."

Wanda looked at her father. He was gritting his teeth together. Lorna narrowed her eyes.

"Stop what?" she asked.

"Talking."

"Sorry," Lorna said, her voice turning acidic, "I was just trying to tell my new siblings about Anya. I figured that they might like to know about our family, because apparently it's a lot bigger than I thought it was."

Wanda bit her lip at the way Lorna emphasized the word 'new.' Peter leaned forward, cocking his head at the exchange.

"Is that alright?" Lorna spat.

Her father glared at her before staring out of the window. Lorna turned to Wanda and Peter, her voice much more tense than it had been a minute ago.

"No," Lorna said, "At least, we don't know yet. It's likely, given that all of her siblings are, but one of my friends was telling me that it doesn't usually manifest until puberty, so we have another two or three years before we know for sure."

"It started for me when I was eleven," Peter said.

"Same," said Wanda.

"I was fifteen," Lorna said.

"And what's your um, mutation?" Wanda asked.

"I can control metal," said Lorna, "And this."

She reached up and yanked the scarf off her head. Green hair came tumbling down so that it rested on her shoulders. Wanda knew immediately that it wasn't dyed.

"Nothing to do with my other mutation," Lorna said, "It just kind of happened."

"Oooh, awesome," said Peter, "You're like the swamp monster!"

"Thanks?" Lorna said.

She glanced out the window.

"The school's coming up," she said, "You might want to take a look at it."

Wanda followed Lorna's gaze as the car pulled up in front of the school. It was massive, bigger than any building she had ever seen before. They were going to live there? With other mutants? It seemed like a dream.

"Welcome to Xavier's," Lorna said.

The car stopped and Peter reached for the door.

"I'll get the suitcases," he said.

Wanda followed him, but by the time she got to the trunk her brother had already unloaded the suitcases. She walked over to him, noticing that the rest of the group had stayed seated. Perhaps that was a conversation that she wasn't meant to be a part of.

Her brother was glaring at the suitcases as he tugged them out.

"Our dad's a jerk," Peter muttered.

"It's a lot to take in," Wanda said.

"He could at least try," snapped Peter, "He's not the only one this affects. I mean, think about what they said. Do you know what that means?"

"We have sisters," Wanda said, "And at least one of them is nice."

Peter snorted.

"She tolerates us right now. And according to him you're my only sister," he said.

"Not according to her," Wanda said, "That's something, right?"

Peter stared at the suitcases. He lashed out and kicked one, making it topple over.

"Peter!"

"It shouldn't be like this," he said, "Getting out of that damn house shouldn't have been like this."

A car door opened. Wanda jerked her head and saw Lorna storming towards the school. Her father raced after her. He reached for her arm, but she shook it off angrily.

"Get the hell away from me!" she snapped.

Lorna took off at a full run for the front doors, their father running after her. Wanda looked at Peter, her throat too dry for words.

"Like she said, welcome to Xavier's," he said.


	5. Chapter 5

April 8, 1968

There was no answer behind the door. He knew his daughter was there, and Erik had felt the keyhole briefly to see if he could just force the door open. She had melted the lock together. He could snap it back, but it would take a while since he was unfamiliar with the locking mechanism. There was no way that he could force open the door without ruining it entirely. Somehow he had the feeling that it would be more difficult to talk to his daughter with that going on.

"Lorna, open up," he said.

There was still no answer. He'd seen the disgust in her eyes before she ran away. Perhaps he needed to be a bit gentler, but how could he allow what she was doing with Peter and Wanda to continue? He'd told her to stop, and that had somehow only made her mad. He sighed and leaned his forehead against the door. The wood was cold and unyielding.

"Please open the door," he tried, "I need to talk to you."

Still no answer.

"Lorna, this happened before I married your mother," he said, "I-"

"I don't want to hear it!"

He winced, feeling his own irritation rising.

"This isn't my fault!" he said.

"How is it not your fault?" Lorna shouted, "You're the man-whore here!"

"What?"

"You heard me!" she snapped, "You could have at least looked at them! You left them and then...damn it all! That woman? Really?"

"This was a long ago. And...I didn't know Lorna!" he said, "I didn't know that they...I just didn't know!"

It felt like a flimsy excuse, but it was also true. He heard silence for a few seconds, but when Lorna spoke again, it was a hiss.

"You didn't know about me either," she said.

"That was completely different-" Erik started.

"Dad, just go away, okay?"

"Lorna-"

"Go away!"

Erik tried the doorknob once more, feeling his rage mounting.

_Erik, maybe you should stop._

He clenched his head.

_Charles, I'm not in the mood to talk right now._

_And neither is Lorna,_ Charles thought, _I can feel it even from down here._

_I'm trying to work things out right now,_ Erik thought.

_You won't if you break the door down._

_What do you know about it? Erik snapped._

_Not much I suppose. But I do have two teenagers down here that I'm trying to settle in,_ Charles thought, _Wanda looks like she's on the verge of tears and Peter needs to stay still and-_

_Lorna's my concern. Not them,_ Erik thought.

_Yes they are. Erik, I understand that this is difficult for you, but they're your children too-_

_No they're not!_

There was a long silence. He craved it just as much as he hated it.

_Erik, you can say that to yourself as much as you want. But, no matter how painful, you're going to have to realize that they're your flesh and blood._

_Get out of my head!_

_Alright Erik. Alright._

Erik pushed away from Lorna's door. He stalked down the hallway, his hands clenched into fists. How could this have happened? How could he have been this careless? Yes, this had happened seventeen years ago, before he was married, before he had known Lorna even existed. It left a bitter taste in his mouth all the same.

He came upon a familiar door, his hand resting lightly on the wood. Before he could muster up the courage to open it, it opened for him. Anya was standing there. No, she wasn't supposed to be there. Then again, where else would she be?

Her face lit up and she wrapped her arms around him at once.

"You're back!" Anya said.

Erik gritted his teeth together.

"Yes," he said, "Yes, I am."

"Is something wrong?" Anya asked, pulling away.

He looked down at her. She had his eyes, but the rest of her features were soft like his wife's. There was a sweet innocence about them, as well as a strange sort of curiosity. He searched for, and lost, the strength to tell her about the two teens on the first floor.

"Not really," he said, "But I'd prefer it if you stayed in your room for the next few hours. And come find me before you talk to anyone if I don't come to get you by dinner."

"Oh, okay," Anya said.

She looked confused but left all the same. Unlike Lorna, she was still strictly obedient. He figured that Lorna must have inherited her newfound rebellious streak from her fiancé. If only she had listened to him in the car.

He walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Susanna was laying there, her hair and clothes immaculately clean and well-kept. Hank never flagged in his duty to make sure that her life support was steady and stable and Anya never failed in making sure that she was clean and well looked after. It had been Anya's way of coping, and he had never dared interfere. It made her feel better.

Erik sat down next to her, putting one of his hands on the side of Susanna's face. As always, his wife's skin was pale and cool to the touch. She was in there somewhere, he was sure of that. He just couldn't reach her, could hold her, kiss her, but she would never kiss or hold him back.

With trembling lips he leaned over and kissed her on her forehead. He could imagine the hurt in her eyes if she'd been awake. They'd had such plans for raising a family and future together. After the difficulty of Anya's birth he'd told her that two children was more than enough, that he would never want anything more. He hadn't been able to bear the thought of losing her.

He'd lost her anyway, and now this. God, what she would think of him.

"I'm sorry," he said.

One of his hands clenched the edge of her mattress, his whole body tense. He'd fathered two children besides his daughters, children that weren't Susanna's, children that had been born when Lorna was already two years old. What kind of a husband and father was he?

Erik leaned over and kissed her again.

"I'm so sorry," he said.

* * *

"-and your classes start on Monday," Charles said, forcing his voice to stay cheerful, "Any questions?"

Neither of the teens looked at him. Wanda was upset with what had happened. Peter had popped some bubblegum into his mouth, looking around like he couldn't care less. He'd already caught him sticking some under one of the tables. The boy was an arse.

"No?" he asked, "Alright."

He opened the door to their room.

"We don't quite have the space to separate the genders entirely, but since you two are brother and sister I thought you might like to share a room," he said, "It's not too far from the ground floor, so it's in good condition."

"Thanks," Wanda mumbled.

"Eh, looks like it'll be big enough," said Peter.

"Alright," Charles said.

He cleared his throat.

"I can...tell you when Lorna comes down if you want to leave a message for her," he said, "Or anyone else for that matter.

Peter blinked, as though he hadn't thought of it. Wanda looked up, tired.

"My brother...we don't want to make a scene," she said, her voice defeated.

"I'm sure you don't," said Charles, trying to be as kind as possible, "I know that this is probably very difficult for all of you. If you need to talk, then we can arrange something."

"No...I think we'll be fine," Wanda said.

She grabbed her brother's arm and pulled him into the room, gently closing the door behind her. Charles sighed and began walking back to his room. He could feel a headache coming on, and he just wanted some aspirin and a lie down.

A cool hand touched his neck.

"Charles?"

He smiled and turned around. Moira was standing behind him, her hair pulled back into a loose ponytail. It had only been a day since he'd last seen her, but it felt so good to be near her again, especially considering everything that had happened earlier that day.

"Yes love?" he asked, leaning into her touch.

"Hank just told me that you were back a few minutes ago," she said, "I'm afraid I was asleep."

He raised his hands and rested them on her swollen stomach. Their child was quiet at the moment. He had been kicking recently, and he loved being able to feel it, to hold her and bask in the beautiful future life was promising him.

"It's fine," he said, "The two of you need your rest."

"I wasn't apologizing."

He chuckled. Her other hand came up and cupped his cheek. Charles closed his eyes. It felt so good to just feel her presence for a moment, to try and forget what had happened earlier that day. It was just him and his family.

"I did see you pull in though. What happened?"

He winced. Yes. It was probably foolish to forget about that right now. It was going to be an ongoing issue. There was no other way.

"Yes..." he said.

He opened his eyes and looked down the hall. They were too close to Wanda and Peter.

"Let's go to our room for a few minutes," he said.

Moira nodded and followed him up the stairs. The faculty rooms were on the second floor. Charles's room had always been large and he'd only needed to add a new, bigger bed when he'd married Moira. They had considered turning her own room, which had been next to his own but smaller, into another faculty room. Then they'd heard about the baby and things had changed.

He sat down on the couch and Moira sat next to him, holding his hand. He took a deep breath and told her everything that he'd learned on the trip.

"Oh my God," Moira said, "Is there any chance she was lying?"

"No," said Charles, "He might not think it, but I can see the resemblance when I looked for it. Lorna can too. I think it's why she forced herself to accept it. I'm not sure how well she's dealing with it though. First Alex, now this."

He sighed.

"They're his Moira," he said, "There's no way around it."

"I heard that," she said, "They really do look like Erik then?"

"Yes, but don't say that to Erik," said Charles, "I don't think he's ready for it."

She shook her head.

"Not if what I've heard is true," Moira said, "I can't imagine what's going through his head."

"Unfortunately, I can. I think he thinks that he's betrayed Susanna and the girls somehow," he said, "It's not rational really: he didn't know Lorna was alive then and he hadn't married Susanna yet, so I don't understand."

"Erik's made some rather irrational decisions when it comes to his family in the past," said Moira.

Charles nodded.

"True but...well, it's unfair to Wanda and Peter, isn't it?" Charles said, "I can understand Lorna reacting this way, she's so responsible we forget how young she is sometimes, but she didn't. She tried, in her usual brash way, but she tried. Erik is a fully grown adult-"

"Charles," Moira interrupted, "Imagine if one of your old girlfriends ran into you tomorrow and held up a child for you to see."

He tensed.

"What would you tell me?" asked Moira, "How would you feel towards this child? Towards our child? No matter how it feels, it does change things."

Charles sighed and nodded. Moira threaded her fingers through his hair and Charles was once again reminded of how amazing his wife was.

"If that's true, then I hope that Erik's ready for that change," he said.

His mind went to Lorna and the pain she had obviously been feeling. He thought of Anya, still so young and naïve.

"I hope they all are," he said.


	6. Chapter 6

April 11, 1968

Alex really was sorry. He needed to apologize somehow, and the words just seemed flat on paper. He just wished he cold have her forgiveness. Not for going though. Rather, he was sorry for leaving her and not talking to her about it in greater detail. She should have been a bigger part of this decision. His reasons for going had been solid, and he hadn't regretted them.

Now though, now he was sorry that he'd come. He'd had some sort of idea that what he was doing was protecting his country. He'd felt that it was just a repeat of what they had done at Cuba, but in a more militarized way. They were protecting people, weren't they? He was being just like his father, wasn't he?

The longer he spent in the jungle the less certain he became about both of those things. He could feel his heart pounding faster with each second. He'd thought that he'd had good battle instincts when he had first enlisted. He'd been at the top of his class when he'd been in basic. He'd thought that he'd been prepared.

Out here it was different. He could feel himself becoming more on edge. He'd seen so many of his comrades snap and start babbling about seeing things moving, about how the jungle was alive. The jungle often was alive because their enemy knew their land well. They knew what they were doing. His group didn't.

He felt woefully underequipped and yet overequipped at the same time. You couldn't just throw a bomb at a forest and expect that everything would be fine afterwards. His weapons were powerful, but they felt useless. There were too many layers coating him and he felt like he was drowning in his own sweat.

Alex was struggling to continue on. He was sure that the time in the X-men was the only reason he was still alive. He'd already seen too many of his original troop members die. He'd never seen anyone die in the X-men. Part of him darkly thought seeing his comrades die here in battle would be good practice for when he got back home. The thought kept him up late at night.

He closed his eyes. He could still see them all. Alex still wrote to all of his friends regularly, even Anya who he tried to be chipper with them. Their faces were in his mind. They were up there fighting their own war, and he had left them to it. He'd left them to fight all by themselves.

It was uncomfortable and scary, the thoughts that drifted into his head and planted poisonous seeds there. It was still better than the other thoughts he had when he slept. The nightmares were getting into his very blood. Alex knew that this was far too much, that he needed to keep his cool, but it was too much.

The nights when he dreamed of the Institute were the best and worst. Lorna had allowed him to have a picture of her, and she'd put aside her irritation with him to spend time with him right before he left. God he loved her.

He imagined laying in the library, her head resting on her shoulder, playing with her hair while he talked with his friends about something stupid. He'd wake up thinking he was still there and then feel the sickly night heat eating away at him.

During the daytime it was easier. Marching through the jungle was easier, fighting was easier. Alex knew what it was that he was doing when he fought. It was something he was used to. The only thing that was different was that he had a gun now. It was easier to shoot than he'd thought it would be.

He marched ahead, looking at the pack in front of him. They were currently camped out on the edge of one of the jungles, he was forgetting which one. He'd been selected to go on patrol duty with another member of the troop.

He'd briefly met a few of the guys in his troop. Most of them were new, and they were all younger than him. They were all decent people, although he wasn't sure why Todd Toynbee never took his goggles off. He'd have to take them off sometime, right? He'd just never seen him do it.

A shot rang out. He stiffened and looked around. Toynbee turned his head in the same direction. It was close to them.

"We should check it out," Alex murmured.

Toynbee nodded, looking a little less certain. They crept through the foliage, keeping their heads down. The closer Alex got to the noise, the more rang out. He could hear shouts and screams too now, and it was starting to get under his skin.

He checked his gun. It was fully loaded and ready to go. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Toynbee do the same thing. Alex nodded to him and they got closer. He knew he should radio this in, but they were too close to the enemy to do so without alerting the entire jungle.

There was a village up ahead. He crouched behind the tall bushes and looked out. He could vaguely see movement.

"There are already soldiers in there," Toynbee murmured, "Our guys. Can't really see what's up though."

Alex looked at him, surprised. How could he see that well from here? Maybe it was the goggles.

"Okay," Alex whispered back, "We go in there, and we give aide. Must be a Viet Cong refuge or something."

"Right," Toynbee said.

"Let's go in fast, but low," said Alex, "First sign of combatants, we open fire."

Todd nodded again. Alex was suddenly reminded that Todd was only twenty. He was three years younger than Alex and had been in for less time. Maybe he was looking up to him. He wasn't sure if he knew what he was doing. He had to try though.

Together they moved in. One of the buildings was on fire, and he could still hear gunfire. Alex pressed his back to one of the buildings, feeling the sun beat down on him. He gave a final nod to Toynbee, and then they burst around the side of the building.

He'd expected to see a war zone. He'd expected that they would have to fire and then duck back behind their cover. They'd pin point their own guys and rendezvous with them. It was simple, even if it was dangerous.

He hadn't expected to see the bodies of women and children. He hadn't expected to feel his stomach churn at the smell of so much warm, fresh blood. He hadn't expected the flies. The shouts, now that he was closer, sounded more like screams and less like war cries.

"Oh God," Toynbee murmured.

Alex felt something burn inside him. He strode towards the sounds of gunfire, his hands tightening around his gun. No. No. NO.

"Summers?" Toynbee asked.

He barely heard him. He walked over the bodies, his pulse pounding in his head. He thought of all the things he'd heard about honor, about what his father had taught him when he was a child. Scott remembered what he'd been told about soldiers and fighting for a cause.

Alex rounded one of the buildings and came across a group of six soldiers. There were about twenty villagers rounded up, women and children among them, looking scared. The soldiers were talking and smoking. Playing cards. He didn't want to think about what the stakes were.

He saw a few of the soldiers turn when he walked up. Some of them nudged each other and pointed at him. He could hear Toynbee clattering around behind him, but it wasn't going to stop him. Not by a long shot.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he hissed.

One of the soldiers laughed.

"Oh, this is a rebel camp," he said, "Caught 'em sneaking supplies."

"Even the children?" Alex asked.

There were a few snorts of laughter.

"Well, that was more of an example," another said.

There was some more laughter. Alex took one hand off his gun and gestured to the villagers. They flinched.

"And what about them?" he asked.

"We're still figuring something out," a soldier said.

"Why?" asked the one next to him, "You want a go?"

His teeth gritted further together. Part of him hated his father then, hated him for making him believe that all soldiers were honorable. Sure, there had been many like his father. But the men in front of him weren't like that. Not at all.

This wasn't his father's war, and he had to stop pretending it was.

"You're going to let them go," he said.

"Don't think we are."

"I think you are," Alex snapped.

One of the soldiers put his cards down.

"Summers, maybe we should, uh-" Toynbee said, looking nervous.

"Why dontcha listen to your friend?" the soldier asked, "This isn't any of your business, and I'd hate to have to kill a fellow soldier. That gun of yours won't help much against the six of us."

Alex could see that they were all picking up their guns now. He laughed and threw his gun away.

"Oh that?" he asked, "Nah, screw that. That would just get in the way."

It was a bad idea, oh God was it a bad idea, but it was too late. The ideals that his father had taught him weren't the code that he'd thought they were. Even when he was breaking that code as an angry teen he'd at least known it was being broken. The men in front of him had falsified what he'd been taught was true. It was probably true somewhere, but not there.

But the code he'd learned at Westchester, that was still true. That would always be true.

"Take your best shot assholes," Alex said.

There was a pause, and then they leveled their guns. Alex moved and shot a blast from his hands. It was a perfect concentration of power, a skill that he'd harnessed in training. The flames he'd caused during that first week were a thing of the past. Now it was just concussive blasts. In the past he'd used to protect his fellow mutants. Now he was going to protect his fellow man.

It hit the first man in the chest and the others opened fire. He rolled underneath the bullets and forced another two of them back. There was more gunfire, and he thought he saw one man turn his gun towards the villagers. Alex shot the gun out of his hand and ran up to him.

He dodged the first punch and then shoved the man to the ground. He kicked him in the face once and brought another into a headlock. The man tried to bring his gun around to shoot. Alex let the power build in his fingertips to give the man a direct shot to his head before releasing him.

The last man tried to run. Alex bitterly wondered how many of the villagers had tried to do that. He put his hands together for a final blast and watched as the man skidded into the ground. He slid for several feet before lying still.

He turned his head to the villagers, who were staring at him with wide eyes. He knew a few words of Vietnamese, enough to tell them to leave.

"Di!" Alex shouted.

They scrambled to their feet. One woman looked at him a little longer with a boy who was about thirteen. That would be how old Scott would be now.

"Thien Than," the boy murmured.

His mother quickly pulled him away. Alex let out a shuddering breath and looked over at Toynbee. His mouth was open.

"Shut that before something flies into it," Alex spat.

Toynbee swallowed, and then he jerked his head to the side. A long tongue flicked out of his mouth, perhaps a few feet long. Alex watched its path in awe as it yanked a gun out of another man's hand. He must have gotten back up in the commotion. Alex raised his own hand and shot the man to the ground.

Alex looked at Toynbee, a smile creeping onto his lips.

"You too, huh?" he asked.

Toynbee grinned, his tongue going back into his mouth.

"Impressive. Both of you."

Alex whipped around. A man in his early thirties was staring at him, along with six other soldiers. Alex tensed. There was something about the man's smile that he didn't like.

"Should we pursue?" one of the soldiers asked.

"No point," the man said, "We wouldn't want to upset them. It looks like our insertion team has already gotten what we were after."

He strode up to them. Alex looked at the insignia on the man's breast pocket and stood at attention. He made a motion at Toynbee, who did the same. His nerves were still raw, and he didn't want to make anything worse.

"Sir," Alex said.

"Please, not so formal," the man said.

His eyes swept around the village. Alex didn't trust that look. There was less and less he liked about the man by the second, especially when the man fixed his eyes on him.

"Just call me Stryker Private Summers," he said.

For the first time in the past few hour, despite the gunfire and the pure insanity, Alex felt fear.


	7. Chapter 7

April 15, 1968

"Maybe you should talk to him."

Hank winced as soon as Lorna looked up. He'd seen that expression in her eyes too many times before. It had never been directed at him though. It was the look she reserved for people she hit or put in a headlock.

Since she'd come to the Institute she'd done less of that. Sometimes Hank wondered if she'd just needed another outlet for everything that had happened, another way to express her defensive tendencies. Perhaps she'd found that in the X-men.

Or perhaps friends had been her cure. It had done a lot for him. Lorna had once told him that she'd never had a friend before she'd met them. Now she was seated at a table surrounded by Sean, Darwin, Raven, and him. Now she had other people.

She actually had too many people and too little at the same time. Wanda and Peter were in class at the moment, and Hank was glad. Whenever they had lunch at the same time Lorna invited them. Wanda was fine, albeit quiet and a little scared-looking, but Peter was a bit of an asshole. It was also awkward, since they seemed not to know what to do in the group. Lorna didn't seem to know either.

She hadn't talked to her father since they arrived. Anya didn't even know why. Gleaned from their conversations, it looked like her father hadn't told her, perhaps still worrying over his eldest daughter's reaction. To his knowledge Lorna hadn't told Anya either. It wasn't fair to her, and Hank hated it.

If Alex were there, things might be a little calmer. Instead she was on edge over his extended stay of duty, since he hadn't written to her since that last letter. Alex wrote regularly, and it did make Hank uncomfortable that he hadn't written back. If something had happened they would have been alerted though. More likely he was in a place that they couldn't get letters out of easily. Not that that was good either.

Hank was socially inept, so he'd wondered if he should say something. Raven had told him not to. While he couldn't consider them good friends, they still had enough regard for each other to the point where she would warn him. They were supposed to show solidarity with Lorna, she told him, and that meant ignoring her father and saying nothing to Anya as well.

It sounded messed up to Hank. He'd discussed it with the rest of their friends, but Sean and Darwin had opted to stay out of it. Considering the glare Lorna was giving him when now that he'd finally plucked up the courage to say something, maybe they'd been right.

"I'm just saying," Hank mumbled, "None of this is anybody's fault. It's not like he planned for-"

"And neither did I," Lorna said, "But now I have to deal with this, and I'm doing it the best way I know how. He should too."

Hank looked at Darwin and Sean. Darwin was making chopping motions with his hands. Hank swallowed again and looked back down at his sandwich.

"I've got to get to class," Lorna said.

She got up, grabbing her bag with her. He waited until she was gone before speaking.

"This is stupid," Hank muttered.

"I know. You shouldn't have said anything," said Raven.

He looked up at her.

"Has anybody bothered to think about what Wanda and Peter are feeling right now?" he asked, "They've got two new half-siblings, one's trying to make friends but not doing so well, the other doesn't know they exist, and their father is nowhere to be found."

"Peter's kind of an asshole," Sean said, "I don't think he minds."

"That's no excuse," said Hank, "I mean, they're family."

"Blood doesn't make you family," Raven said.

"It's not a bad place to start," said Hank.

She glared at him and her eyes flipped gold. He hated this strange passive aggressive thing that she did with him when she got angry. It was like she wanted to tell him off, but didn't think he was worth it. They had never really talked after Cuba, but that had been six years ago.

Had she never had a break-up before? He'd been proud of getting past it without feeling badly towards her. Why hadn't she?

"Guys, can we calm it down a bit?" Darwin asked.

Hank looked at Darwin, who shrugged. Perhaps this was best left alone. It felt like he was fighting an uphill battle for something he wasn't even sure that he should be fighting for. Is this what having friends was like?

"Yeah," Sean said, "Did you find anything in those folders we have?"

Hank rubbed his forehead.

"I think that Trask had some sort of lab," he said, keeping his voice down, "Not sure what it was for. Mentioned someone named Stryker."

"Our Stryker?"

"No," Hank said, "I think it's someone else."

"After a week that's all you have?" Darwin asked.

Not really. There was more. Hank just wanted to be damn sure he had everything right before he advised the Professor to send a team down to Vietnam of all places. Simultaneously he knew that someone knew that mutants had these files now, making things even more dangerous.

"I'm still decoding them," he decided on.

"Then you should concentrate on that instead of snooping into other people's lives," Raven said.

He put his hands on the table and got up.

"Okay, I'm sick of this," he said.

"Hank-" Darwin said.

"No, it's okay," he said, "Obviously I'm the wet blanket here. Obviously I'm nosy and should just stick to my lab. Good. At least when I go there I might have a conversation without someone biting my head off. Maybe I'll be able to talk to someone intelligent around here."

"But no one goes into your-" Sean started.

"Exactly!"

He shoved his hands in his pockets and stalked away. Hank didn't stop until he made it to his lab. He wished that he didn't have to deal with all of this. Why did he even care? It obviously made him a better friend if he didn't.

Still feeling angry he shoved the door open.

"Hank!"

He blinked. Anya was balanced on one of the lab tables, proudly holding up her kite.

"It's ready!" she said, "I thought you could help me test it. It's windy and..."

She trailed off.

"Are you angry?" she asked, "I thought I could get it done, and you did give me a key-"

"No," Hank said, forcing a smile, "Just um, something else."

He jerked a thumb towards the outside.

"Wanna go give it a go?" he asked.

Anya nodded eagerly. Maybe he would get a chance at intelligent conversation after all.

* * *

"Remind me, why are you trying so hard to talk to her?" Peter asked.

"She's our sister," said Wanda.

"She's not a very good conversationalist."

Wanda rolled her eyes and leaned against a tree. She sighed as a gust of wind blew by. It was cool and nice, giving her a moment of peace. She hadn't had many of those since she'd come to the Institute. She hadn't had many before the Institute though, so she figured it was about even. At least she was learning more about the sparks. The Professor had told her that she had reality-altering powers. He said that she might be able to do bigger things as long as she learned to control it.

So at least there was that.

"It's cool, I get it," said Peter, "Mom's awful so you kinda want these guys ta be good. That's, like, normal. I guess."

She gritted her teeth together. She hated it when Peter patronized her.

"I'd like to meet the younger one, Anya," Wanda said.

"I don't think Lorna wants us to," said Peter.

"We'll figure something out," she said.

Peter made a face.

"You're too desperate for this to work out," he said, "They're not really people worth knowing."

"Peter-"

"Wanda, just give up on them," Peter said, "We don't need them."

Why didn't he understand? She wanted them to like her, wanted to be a part of a good, solid family. She wanted it so badly even though she knew she was reaching for the stars. Couldn't she at least try? Couldn't she depend on her one supporter for help?

"It's not about need-" she tried.

"We've got each other, right?" Peter said, "That's all we've ever needed before."

The branches in the trees above her rustled. A few leaves fell down, getting caught in her hair. She sighed again. He didn't understand, and she was starting to get impatient.

"I'll just keep taking care of you," said Peter.

That was it.

"Okay, Peter?" Wanda said, "Stop treating me like I'm your kid sister."

"You are though-"

"By one minute," said Wanda, holding up a finger, "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, so stop trying to defend me."

"You couldn't even protect yourself against those dweebs at school," Peter said.

"I could have," Wanda snapped, "But I chose not to!"

"Oh, you chose not to?" Peter asked, "When would you have drawn the line? When they hit you? When they broke your arm?"

"I could have handled it!" Wanda said, "Just like I can handle this!"

Peter snorted.

"Yeah, if you couldn't even handle those weirdos, what makes you think you can handle this?" he said.

"Look-" said Wanda.

He threw his hands up.

"No, you look," he said, "Face it, he doesn't want you. Lorna barely does. Just like dad didn't want you, just like mom didn't want you!"

The words cut her inside. It was like something was gone and she was leaking pain. Peter had said that, the one friend, the one ally she'd ever had. After all that time spent commiserating, seventeen years, he'd said that. Her mother had never truly liked her, neither had her father, but she'd never felt betrayal before. She felt it now.

She bit down on her lip and Peter stared at her.

"Ohmygod, Wanda, I didn't mean-" he said.

"Get away from me!" she screamed.

"If you'd just-"

"No, go away!" Wanda yelled.

She felt a red film drop over her eyes. Peter began to walk away, his expression etched with pain. He went much more slowly than he'd ever gone, almost as though he was waiting for her to call him back.

Wanda wouldn't though. He'd been the one who'd betrayed her.

"Go!" she shouted.

There was a blur, and he was gone. Wanda sank to her knees and started crying. It was too much. She'd hated her life back at the city she'd lived in, hated the way people looked at her and whispered about her. Now she hated what the school was doing to her relationships, to any family she'd had.

She hated this, hated losing a chance for a different beginning. All of the other students were so happy that they'd come to the Institute, and she couldn't be. Not entirely. Wanda curled up and put her arms around her knees. She couldn't stop the tears.

Peter had been right. This hadn't been what she'd envisioned when she'd dreamed of leaving the house.

"I've got it! I think the kite- oh, are you okay miss?"

Wanda looked up. A little girl was standing in front of her, her hair pulled into pigtails.

"Miss?" she asked.

"Wanda," Wanda choked out.

The least they could do was know her name. The little girl knelt next to her. She picked up the hem of her sleeve and began wiping the tears off of Wanda's face.

"Hey, it's okay," she said.

"You don't have to do that," Wanda said.

She tried to move away, but the girl kept wiping her eyes.

"It's okay," she repeated.

"Not really," murmured Wanda.

"That's what I thought when I came here," the girl said, "And stuff isn't perfect or anything."

She looked sad, but continued to wipe away Wanda's tears.

"But it's better, you know?" she said, "People look out for each other here."

"I don't need anyone to look out for me," Wanda said, "No one thinks I can do anything, nobody trusts me! That's the problem!"

The answer was bitter and mean. The girl was only trying to help, but Wanda couldn't help it. The girl didn't flinch.

"I'll trust you now," she said sincerely, "And that's something, right?"

Wanda felt a laugh bubble in her chest, because the little girl's honesty and sincerity was so out of place. Maybe that was something.


	8. Chapter 8

April 15, 1968

"Hey, Miss Lensherr?"

Lorna turned around and saw one of the younger students. A few others were behind him, looking awkward. That look was far too familiar to her. As one of the senior students people had begun to think that she had answers.

She didn't know who the students in front of her were, but they obviously knew who she was. It looked like her reputation preceded her. She sighed. She didn't want to be dealing with anyone else's problems. Lorna wasn't the kind of person to say no anymore though. She couldn't be.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Um, someone took my wallet," he said.

"You're sure you didn't just lose it?" Lorna asked.

"Mine's missing too," another said.

"And mine."

"And mine. And my class ring," another chimed in.

She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms.

"Anybody have a grudge against you guys?" she asked.

"We don't talk to other people often," one of them said.

She wasn't surprised. It was a common problem with the kids in the school.

"Okay," she said, "Have you told the Professor or anyone?"

"No," the first one said, "We just found out. We um, we figured that you might be able to do something."

"Why me?" Lorna asked.

She felt it was a good question. Why her? She hadn't asked to be a mutant, to have her mother put in a coma, her fiancé to leave her, her father to have illegitimate children. Lorna hadn't asked for any of this, and she sure as heck didn't want to find out more about why their wallets were missing.

What she really wanted to do though, was smack herself in the face. Lorna couldn't stand people who wallowed in self-pity and she was increasingly becoming one of them. It was why she was still in the hallway, just trying to get over the knot of anger in her chest.

Her own problems weren't important really. She didn't want to have to deal with the two teens who looked at her curiously. Lorna wanted to forget they existed, wanted to banish any thought that her family wasn't what it had been a few days for.

It was a difficult pill to swallow. She'd thought that her family was the one constant in her life. Alex might go off to war, the X-men may find new enemies, but her family would always be the same, dependable, loyal, reliable group. It was a bitter pill to swallow that she'd been wrong, that things hadn't been the same for years, and she knew who to blame for it. But she'd forced herself to deal with them anyway, because they weren't the ones to blame.

And now these kids wanted her help.

"Again, why me?' Lorna asked.

"Because you're tough and you'll scare him," one said.

She raised her eyebrows.

"Wait, you know who it was?" Lorna asked.

"Um, know is kind of a strong word," another said, "It's just, as soon as we found our wallets were gone he kept giving us these smirks."

"Not exactly a sign of guilt," said Lorna.

"And then he made fun of us."

"Now that doesn't sound good for him," Lorna said, "Who was it?"

"That kid with silver hair who's always chewing gum. I think he's in the library."

Damn her life. Lorna put her hands in her pockets. She didn't think she had enough clout with Peter to do this, but it sounds like she didn't have a choice.

"I'll check it out," she said.

The kids nodded to her and she walked down the hallway. Peter was more difficult to deal with than Wanda, mostly because he didn't want to try. Things were getting difficult, and Lorna admitted that she didn't really know know Wanda, but the trying was the important part. It's what she told herself anyway.

Lorna walked into the library. She didn't see anyone, but she did see the faint rustle of a book's pages.

"I know you're in here," she said.

There was no answer. She put her hands on her hips.

"Look, things haven't been easy for you," she said, "I get it. I was there and a lot of..."

She shook her head.

"...things have happened. And I..."

Lorna really hated herself now. She had never been great at these sorts of things, and she missed Alex so much it ached. He could have helped her, he would have understood what she was feeling. Her father might have understood too, but she couldn't talk to him.

"I haven't been the best at making things...easy."

There was another rustle, and she felt someone standing behind her. A hand grabbed her hair and pulled her backwards.

"Easy? After everything that's what you decide to say-?"

Years with the X-men had honed her less graceful social exercises. Too many years of training were behind her when she felt someone pull her hair she instinctively yanked out of his grasp and whirled around. She punched her half-brother in the stomach and sent him falling to the floor.

"I'm sorry!" Lorna said.

Peter got to his feet, glaring at her.

"I really am sorry," Lorna said, "Instinct."

"Where the hell did ya get instincts like that from?" he demanded.

Lorna winced.

"The schoolyard," she said.

It wasn't technically a lie. Peter began to get up. Lorna reached out to help him up, but he swatted away her hand.

"I didn't think anyone would dare mess with you," Peter sneered,"What with your father being such an intimidating figure."

She bit down on her tongue.

"He...wasn't around for the first six years of my life," she said.

Peter cocked his head at her.

"What?" he asked.

"My mom got pregnant, he didn't know, he came through the town six years later, found out about me," Lorna said, "Stayed. Married her. Couple years later Anya came. That's it."

He smirked at her.

"Huh, same story as me, different ending," he said.

Lorna narrowed her eyes. His words made her regret not hitting him harder.

"Okay, I don't know how to deal with you, and I'm not in the mood for this," she said, "But you can't go around stealing people's wallets. I don't care what the hell you're going through."

The smirk disappeared back into his sneer. She hated it just as much as the smirk, but at least she could deal with it. He dug into his jacket and pulled a couple of wallets out of his pockets. Peter tossed them onto a nearby table. She heard the clink of a ring.

"Nothing good in them anyway," he snapped.

"Then why did you take them?" Lorna demanded.

Peter crossed his arms.

"You tell me," he said, "You live at a school. You're supposed to be smart."

"You live here too," Lorna snapped.

"Not like you," said Peter.

His voice was derisive. She felt anger flare up inside her. A small voice told her that this wasn't just Peter. She was angry at her father, at Alex, the least of all being 'd never been good at listening to that little voice.

"If you hate it so much, then why don't you leave?" Lorna snapped, "No one's stopping you speedy."

He deflated.

"She wouldn't come with me," he said.

Lorna crossed her arms. It didn't take much to realize who he was talking about. As she watched him Lorna suddenly realized that she was talking to a seventeen year old boy, not a peer. When she was sixteen her life had turned upside down. The same sort of thing, on a different level, was happening to him.

"You don't have to resist so hard you know," Lorna said softly, "I think she'd still come with you if you were really leaving."

"Oh, you'd have me take that risk?" snapped Peter, "She's all I have!"

He clenched his fists.

"We were little, she told mom that she wasn't going to hate me just because she did," Peter said, "How do you live up to that? She gave away the chance to be accepted for me! She even told mom that she could do all those things just to act as a distraction! I know she did because I was there and I...what would you do?"

"I-"

"Never mind. You wouldn't get it," Peter said, "You-"

"Peter, shut up and listen up!"

Her voice surprised even her. He took a step back and Lorna tilted her chin up.

"Life isn't easy for anyone when you wake up one morning and you're bending metal or running at 85 miles per hour or changing reality," she said, "No matter how loving your family is, shit happens. There are things you don't know about our family, and yes, I say our, because it doesn't matter how stupid dad's being right now. You're my damn brother now, so you're going to damn well shut up and listen."

She continued on, not giving him a chance to cut in. She'd seen how he talked, how he could go off at a mile a minute.

"The guy who tried to kill my mom? He was really trying to kill me," Lorna said, "She volunteered to die instead. She volunteered. So don't tell me how it feels to try and live up to someone else's love, because I've been there, done that. I've picked up the pieces as best I can, tried to make it work. Do you get it?

To her surprise Peter slouched his shoulders. Was this all it would've taken? Being blunt and honest? Was this all?

"Peter, I think you can take on a lot of responsibility when you're young," she said, "I mean, my little sister, Anya, she's been taking care of our mom for so long and she's so..."

She bit her lip.

"Grown up."

"Why don't you want us to meet her then?" Peter asked.

"It's not that I..." Lorna said.

Peter raised his eyebrows. It looked like she hadn't deflated him entirely.

"Alright, I have been keeping her from you," said Lorna, "But only because I've been handling this poorly and..."

She sighed.

"I didn't want her to be disappointed in me," Lorna said, "Look me in the eyes and tell me that that's selfish after what you told me."

His eyebrows seemed to raise even further.

"And...she would be disappointed why?" he asked.

Lorna snorted.

"Can you honestly tell me that I've done a good job being your older sister?" Lorna said, "I've never been worried about how Anya would react to meeting you all. Sure she'd be hurt a little, but not towards you. She's like our mom."

Lorna closed her eyes.

"She loves everyone, and she tries so damn hard all the time," she sad.

She shook her head and opened her eyes.

"And I don't want her to know that dad's being a prick either," said Lorna, "He just shuts himself upstairs. What's his damage right now?"

"I know, right?' Peter said, "Didn't even try to talk afterwards."

Lorna winced. She thought of the way her father had pounded on her door, begging to talk to her.

"That's not entirely true," she mumbled.

She saw Peter roll his eyes.

"Grrreeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaat," he said.

"Shut up," Lorna said.

"You first," said Peter, "I can go all day. Twice as fast."

Despite herself, Lorna grinned. Peter grinned back at her.

"We cool?" he asked.

"We're room temperature," Lorna said.

"Ouch."

"Well, I still need to tell Anya-" said Lorna.

"Lorna!"

She turned around. Anya walked into the room, trailing a kite with one hand. The other hand was tightly clasped around Wanda's wrist. Wanda's face was smudged with tears, and she looked uncertain. Hank walked behind them, looking embarrassed and panicky.

"It just sort of happened," Hank said.

"Lorna, this is Wanda," Anya announced, "I found her. She's not doing so great, her brother was mean to her, and I wanted to ask if you knew if there was any cake or anything left."

A stony silence descended. Anya frowned and Hank started to edge away. Lorna nodded at him, and he all but fled the room.

"What?" Anya asked.

"I think we need to talk," Lorna said.


	9. Chapter 9

April 15, 1968

Anya looked at her sister, frowning. Lorna and the boy next to her were looking at her so strangely, and she definitely didn't like it. There was something they weren't telling her, or hadn't told her. It was the only reason why Lorna would look guilty.

So she waited. Her sister generally told her things if she waited long enough. As she did so, Wanda's hand became sweaty in hers.

"Maybe Peter and I should leave," Wanda said.

"Just give me a minute, and don't go too far. It involves you too," said Lorna.

Anya frowned again. She looked back to see if Hank knew what was going on, but he was gone. Where was he? Wanda slowly twisted her hand out of Anya's grasp and began to back away. The silver-haired boy followed her and Anya looked after them.

She hadn't liked how nervous they looked.

"Anya, can you sit down for a minute?" Lorna asked.

Anya sat down, swinging her legs. Her sister sat down next to her, staring ahead. Anya wondered if she had interrupted something. Wanda had been crying about something her brother had said, and now that she thought about it the silver-haired boy had looked an awful lot like Wanda.

"What's going on?" Anya asked, "Was that guy her brother? It sounds like he doesn't trust her, and he's being mean. We should do something about that."

"He is kind of mean," admitted Lorna, "No more mean than I am though."

"He's much meaner than you," Anya said.

"You don't know him."

"She was crying. You'd never make me cry," Anya said.

Lorna bit her lip.

"Anya...when I went on that recruitment trip a few days ago," she said, swallowing, "The trip where we recruited them, I...I found out that dad knew their mother."

"Oh," Anya said.

She cocked her head. Now that she thought of it, Wanda's brother did look a little bit like their father, and there was something familiar about Wanda's face.

"Are we related to them?" she asked.

Lorna bit down on her lip harder.

"Because I think that cousins would be cool," said Anya, "And it would make sense that they're mutants, at least from what Hank was telling me."

She tried to dredge up anything else that Hank had told her. At the time she had just listened, hoping that he would tell her that she would gain the powers of her father and sister one day if she was patient. Instead she realized that, no, she was human. She was never going to be a mutant, and it had hit her like a ton of bricks. She was always going to be useless and out of place in the school.

Anya had cried all that night.

"They're not our cousins," Lorna said.

Oh. Not cousins. She racked her brain. What other relatives could there be? She tired to figure out what relations would work for their age, but she didn't have that extensive knowledge. No matter. Anya was good at making do.

"Um, second cousins then?" Anya ventured, "If they come from dad's side of the family then he said that the genes were passed through the males, so-"

"No."

She paused and looked at her sister. Lorna's face was pained, and she reached out and touched Anya's shoulder.

"They're our brother and sister," she said.

Anya blinked.

"No they're not," she said.

"It was before dad married mom," said Lorna, "And, yeah."

Anya continued blinking.

"No they're not," she said.

"They are," said Lorna, "They...dad and their mom, they were together at one point, and he left and didn't know about them-"

"No they're not," Anya repeated.

Lorna bowed her head, looking like she was about to cry. Suddenly Anya understood, and she slumped. They were her brother and sister: they just didn't have the same mother. If Lorna had told her this a few years ago she wouldn't have understood.

As a young girl who loved reading, understood the concept of stepmothers and stepsisters, she understood. She remembered seeing her parents together when she was younger, of never doubting that her father loved her mother. Anya had never doubted that her life was perfect when she was younger.

It was a thought that had kept her going when things had been less than perfect.

"You didn't tell me," she whispered.

"I didn't know what to say," Lorna said, "I didn't know them, I wanted to make things right between us all, and we didn't-"

"Dad didn't tell me either," said Anya.

She couldn't help the tears smarting her eyes.

"I'm not dumb," she said, "You could have told me. They're my brother and sister too now."

"I know that," Lorna said, grabbing both her shoulders and turning her to look at her, "I know you're not dumb-"

"Dad doesn't like them, does he?" asked Anya.

Her sister paused, and Anya knew the answer. Lorna only stopped before she said things she didn't want to.

"That's mean," Anya whispered.

"He's...not thinking clearly," said Lorna.

Anya pulled away from her sister and buried her face in her hands. She wasn't sure if she had words strong enough to describe the situation.

"You think I'm dumb," she said.

"Anya, please understand," Lorna said, "I was just trying to make things easier. I haven't really done that, but it was what I was trying to do."

Anya sniffled.

"Wanda said her brother didn't trust her," she said, "And that's us. You didn't trust me."

Her sister tried to speak, but Anya kept talking.

"I'm not a baby," she said, "I'm twelve, and I know that's not a ton, but I, I always thought that you thought of me...you wouldn't...wouldn't keep secrets. Not secrets like this."

Before she could continue her sister swept her up into her arms.

"Anya, you're not a baby," she said, "You're not even really a child anymore. It seems like you grew up over night because you couldn't...you didn't want to be away from mom."

Her sister's face hardened.

"That bastard stole a lot when you were six, our mother, our old life, and then he took something from all of us that we can't get back," she said.

Her eyes rested on Anya's face.

"All except you," she said, "He didn't quite manage to take it from you, and I've always envied that."

Lorna pulled away from Anya and began wiping her sister's tears. Anya's mouth was open slightly. Her sister wasn't making sense. Lorna was the one who could fight and control metal. Anya was just Anya.

"What's there about me to envy?" she asked.

"A lot," Lorna said, "You...you've always kept your innocence. Dad's was gone when he was little, but I think that a touch of it came back when he got us. And I was never...then when we lost mom-"

"Mom's still upstairs," said Anya.

Lorna nodded.

"right. It's just hard when...I just miss her voice," she said.

Anya looked down. She missed her mother's voice too.

"And then there was you, and you keep thinking we're all so awesome," Lorna said.

She shrugged.

"I didn't want you to be disappointed in me and dad for not...handling this like we should," Lorna said, "It wasn't anything to do with you. I knew you would handle this better than I did."

Anya looked down at her shoes. She could feel the tears flowing hot and fast. What had she done to make her sister trust her this much? She thought of her earlier words and began to feel guilt build up inside her.

"I've envied you that too sometimes, for being like our mother," Lorna said, "But I always felt like you were kinder than I was, and I still remember how strong you were, how strong you are. And that, more than anything, is what makes me trust you with my life."

Lorna tilted her head up.

"I'm sorry I wasn't brave enough to tell you," she said.

Anya's lower lip trembled, and then she hugged her sister tightly.

"You're the bravest person I know," Anya said.

Lorna gave a choked breath, and then she hugged her back. Anya knew that, somewhere in the school, there was a new brother and sister for her to meet. There was a father that couldn't face up to what was happening.

But she had Lorna, and for now that was all they needed to welcome their new siblings. She could make do.

* * *

Stryker finished his latest report with more than a hint of smugness. His father had been right: he'd run into Xavier and Lensherr's troublemakers. Their semi-protection from the CIA kept them out of his reach, and he knew that it frustrated Trask to no end. There was a pool of mutants in New York perfect for experimentation, mutants who kept foiling their plans, and they couldn't touch them.

He was also sure that those mutants had been the ones behind the theft of Trask's files. The security camera had been blurry, but he'd sworn that at least one of them was Erik Lensherr. He wasn't too terribly concerned about the information that they had taken though, and nor was Trask. Trask had thoroughly coded the files. They'd never figure it all out. Not in time.

There were so few specimens, or so Trask told him. They'd had four all together, but three of them were already dead from the various procedures. Stryker knew that Trask was desperate for more samples, and now he had a wide variety to give him.

He looked over at the other end of the tent. There was a rich variety in front of him, but the real prize was Alexander Summers. He knew where the others were. His father had told him about how MacTaggert had come back with no memory of the location before disappearing off the map. It was likely that they had taken care of their only liability.

Alexander Summers. Son of Christopher and Katherine Summers, an officer and a nurse. Apparently there had been a brother somewhere along the line. He was unimportant though. What was important was that the boy was sitting a few bunks down. Alex had been out of his reach when he was kept by Xavier and Lensherr's side. In Vietnam he was just another solider. Alexander Summers might not be someone they could make disappear, but Private Summers most certainly was.

He wondered if the boy knew. He'd seen him looking around shrewdly at the tent they were in. They were surrounded by soldiers on all sides though, and they were in the middle of the jungle. Even if the boy could get away he'd be stuck in hostile territory, miles and miles away from anyone even remotely friendly. The only ride back to the states were the planes that the boy didn't know how to fly, planes that were securely guarded at all times. He was trapped, and perhaps he was smart enough to know it.

His father had told him about the boy's power, so it would be interesting to see what Trask made of that. He'd also enjoy dragging the information about the others out of him. Despite the show that he'd seen at the village with some of his soldiers, he knew there were ways of making Alexander break. He'd had enough of Xavier and Lensherr's children humiliating him and his superiors.

The boy looked up and caught his eyes. To his surprise Alex didn't flinch or look away when he saw that Stryker was looking at him. Instead his gaze hardened and Stryker had to remind himself that this wasn't the mutant that could read minds.

Refusing to let himself be unnerved by a brat barely old enough to shave, he walked over to him.

"Looking forward to going home?" he remarked.

"Yes sir," Alexander said, the words flat.

Stryker smirked.

"Perhaps you and I could have a chat about your home sometime," he said.

"Or not," Alexander said, his voice lowering, "Ever."

Stryker's smirk widened.

"We'll see."


	10. Chapter 10

April 17, 1968

"Hey, Wanda? Can I talk to you?"

Wanda gave Peter an uncertain look. He wished she wouldn't look at him like that. Yes, they'd had a fight, and it had been his fault, but still. It wasn't like they couldn't talk it out, especially with their rapidly warming relationship with their new siblings. Things with their father were still shit, but still.

Next to her Anya picked up a piece from the checkers board and moved it. The little girl was still very shy about them, he knew she didn't talk that softly normally, but Lorna had been right. She wanted to love them so much. She'd even cancelled her camping trip with her Girl Scout troop, apparently citing a 'family emergency.'

It made Peter wonder about just who Lorna and Anya's mother had been, this strange woman that Lorna held in such reverence. Made him a little envious when he thought of his own mother really.

"Bounce, bounce, I win," Anya said.

Wanda looked back at the board and sighed.

"That's the third game today," she sighed.

"You letting little sis win?" Peter said.

She gave him a look, but he'd never been very good at keeping his mouth shut. There had never been any reason too. Besides, everyone seemed to move so slow around him. He had to talk fast to make up for them.

"I'm not letting anyone do anything," mumbled Wanda, "She's better at it than I am."

"I'm not good at cards though," Anya said, "You're good at cards."

Wanda arched an eyebrow.

"What makes you think that I'm good at cards?" she asked.

"You carry a pack around with you," said Anya.

There was a pause. Wanda fished inside her pocket and pulled out her packet of tarot cards.

"You mean these?" she asked.

"Yeah, those," Anya said, "I saw them sticking out of your pocket. I've never seen cards like that before though."

Wanda flushed. Peter sat down next to Anya. She seemed like a good kid, and he wasn't going to have her getting any bad ideas about Wanda. So many people freaked out when they heard the words 'tarot cards.'

"They're special cards," Peter said, "My grandmamma gave them to her. She liked her better."

"She um, we're Romani," said Wanda.

Anya pursed her lips.

"That means we're originally from Romania on our mother's side and, well, some people call us gypsies-" Peter began.

With a speed that impressed him, Anya cut him off.

"Yeah," she said brightly, "Gypsies. Controversial backgrounds, but it's mostly just a transient and community-based lifestyle."

Peter and Wanda stared at each other.

"I read a lot," Anya said, "I don't have mutant lessons, so I read."

She smoothed her skirt and looked at the cards.

"What's with the cards though?" she asked.

"Oh, um, tarot cards are used to predict the future," Wanda said.

Anya's eyes widened. Peter waited, wondering if he was going to need to say something. Wanda had started out with the cards in a way to honor their grandmamma, whom they had met twice before she died. They had both liked her better than their mother, and she'd told them about magic. It was around that time that Peter had started saying that Wanda jinxed people, although Wanda hadn't liked that.

She had liked the tarot cards. Their mother hadn't, but Wanda told him she liked the colors and the spark of their heritage. She'd done a few readings for Peter, before recently he'd always considered himself a very good brother willing to do anything for his sister, and they'd been somewhat accurate.

It was just a bit of fun, but that was when the whispers at school started. 'Witch' was the most common name that she'd been called. His sister had stopped wearing her favorite color, red, in an attempt to blend in. It hadn't stopped them, and it had made him angry that she wouldn't fight back.

Or, as she'd said, she'd decided not to. He couldn't bare to see his sister so downtrodden, so he'd always come to what he'd thought was her rescue. Maybe she hadn't understood that and she'd seen it as something different.

"I'm not very good-" said Wanda.

"Do me!" Anya squealed.

"Oh, um," Wanda said.

She blushed.

"Your sister might not like that," she said.

"She'll understand," Anya said, "It's like when she told me not to tell mom and dad about her moving metal around. We um..."

She gave her a shy smile.

"Sisters do stuff some times."

Wanda smiled, but she still looked uncertain. Peter couldn't blame her. People had been making fun of her too much for too long. So Peter grinned.

"Go ahead Wanda," he said, "You should have some fun."

"Lorna-" she said.

"I'll tell her it was my idea," Peter said, "She already thinks I'm kind of an asshole. No biggie."

Wanda laughed. She took out her cards and began setting them out. Anya rocked back and forth, staring at the cards. Wanda flipped over a card.

"That's Justice," she said, "I think it's good portent for your future. Were you considering doing something with law?"

"I was thinking about going into politics," Anya said, "Then I can be special like you guys."

Peter frowned and glanced over at Wanda. He suddenly wondered what it must feel like to have most of your family have special powers while you have nothing. It wasn't just her family though: it was all of her friends too.

That couldn't be a good feeling.

"Well, um, here's Strength and Wheel of Destiny," Wanda said, forcing cheerfulness in her voice, "It means that you're going to be compassionate, and that you've got a touch of destiny."

Anya smiled wider as Wanda reached for another card. As she did she bumped the card underneath Strength. It slipped out.

"Oh. I've never had this one come up," Wanda said.

"What?" asked Anya.

"The uh, Hermit card," said Wanda, "It was underneath Strength, so I wouldn't bother with it."

Peter raised an eyebrow.

"What's it mean?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said, "And I'm not good anyway."

"Tell me," Anya said curiously.

Wanda moved her jaw. Peter realized that she was biting the inside of her mouth. Whatever the Hermit card was, it was making her uncomfortable.

"The Hermit card means introspection and um, occasionally loneliness," she said, "It's reversed, so it's um, not positive. Probably the second."

"Oh," Anya said.

She looked at the card, cocking her head.

"Why was it underneath the other one?" she said.

"I think it means that it can be one or the other," Wanda said, "But the Strength card was on top. So think about that one."

Anya nodded, still looking bright. Wanda hastily began picking up the cards.

"Okay," Anya said, "Politics."

She grinned again. Peter couldn't help but grin back. His new little sister was awfully cute. Anya actually reminded him a bit of Wanda when they had both been younger. It reminded him just how much he needed to patch things up with her.

"Hey, Wanda, can I talk to you now that you're done with the reading?" he asked.

His twin still gave him an uncertain look.

"Please?" he asked.

She sighed and nodded.

"I'll be back in a minute," Wanda said.

She got up. Peter put an arm around her shoulders and a hand behind her head.

"Can't have you getting whiplash," he said.

"Huh?" Anya asked.

"Wheeep-laaash," drawled Peter, "It's just what happens when I'm awesome."

Anya laughed. She could be a Mousketeer with that laugh. He sped off to the garage, which he figured was the most secluded area that wasn't their room. Wanda sighed when he stopped, fluffing out her auburn hair.

"Peter-"

He got down on his knees.

"I'm really, really sorry," he said.

Wanda blinked. While Peter was quick to do a lot of things, he knew sincere apologies weren't one of them.

"Get off your knees," she said, "You're overdoing it."

"I mean it," he said, "I was frustrated. Wanda, part of me does prefer the idea of it just being us. I hadn't even really met Anya before the other day, Lorna was so cold, and I still think that the only link that really binds us all together is an asshole who doesn't talk. Don't even know what our stepmom's like."

"She's in a coma," Wanda said.

"She's not here, I know that much," said Peter.

"Actually she's on the faculty floor," Wanda said, "She uh, she's next to our dad's room. Lorna told me."

"Oh-kay. That's besides the point," Peter said, "The thing is, it's just been you and me for so long and I...didn't really want that to change. I guess I was getting a little jealous that you wanted to know new siblings so much."

He sighed and crossed his arms. He knew he looked silly doing it on his knees, but he couldn't figure out another position.

"I love you Wanda," he said, "You're my sister, and my friend, and I know mom only really hated you because you always stood up for me. You did a lot of things for me when I was younger, making sure that things were okay for me...and I threw that back in your face because I'm not good at making things okay for you. I'm sorry."

Wanda smiled and knelt down. She hugged him, and Peter had to wiggle around so that he could hug her back.

"Things are different now," she said, "I'm not gonna love you any less just because I have new sisters."

She let go and grinned.

"Besides, I need someone whose hair I can't braid," she said.

"Hey, give me another few years and I can grow it out," Peter said.

Wanda laughed and got to her feet. She held out a hand and helped Peter up.

"Now, Anya's probably wondering where we've got to-" Wanda said.

"She isn't, because I brought her here," said Lorna.

He turned and saw Lorna crossing her arms. Anya stood next to her, still looking like a happy little baby doll.

"What are you doing down here?" Lorna asked.

"Talking," he said.

"You shouldn't go in here too often," she said, "The garage is off limits most of the time ever since Alex caught some of the younger kids trying to take his motorcycle for a joy ride."

"Hey, I love going where I'm not supposed to," said Peter.

"Who's Alex?" Wanda asked.

Lorna's mouth opened slightly, and Peter saw pain there. Anya piped up.

"He's one of our older friends. He's tough and cool. He can beat up anyone, just like her," she said, gesturing to Lorna, "Oh, and he's gonna marry Lorna."

There was a pause.

"You didn't mention you had a fiancé," Wanda said.

"He's in Vietnam," said Lorna.

Her voice was terse and unhappy. Peter made a face.

"I'd rather go to college than get drafted myself," Peter said, "And I really hate books. That should tell you something-"

"He has a motorcycle?" Wanda said.

She gave him a look. He was glad that they'd made up. He needed a censor sometimes. Well, most of the time.

"Taught me how to ride," Lorna said, walking up to a motorcycle and lovingly running a finger over the handlebars, "Fastest ride ever."

"I bet I can do faster," scoffed Peter.

She raised her eyebrows and grinned.

"Do I hear a challenge?" she asked.

"Duuuh," Peter said, "I can go pretty damn fast. Your little trike isn't going to do anything against that."

Lorna grabbed a thick pair of goggles. She pulled them down and then grabbed a helmet off a side board. Lorna sat down on the bike and put it on. She kicked the bike off its stand and pressed a button. The garage door opened.

"Nifty," Peter asked.

"Hank installed it. He has some good ideas for upgrades," she said, "So, how about we race to the end of the driveway?"

"Can I count down?" Anya asked.

"Sure," Lorna said.

"Don't hurt yourself," Wanda called.

Peter grinned. He fished a pair of goggles from his pockets and put them on. He gave a thumbs-up to Lorna.

"Three, two, one!"

Peter ran forwards. The landscape streaked around him, and he chuckled to himself. No way was he going to get outdone by a machine. And then the motorcycle rumbled distantly behind him- or not so distantly. Actually, that was pretty close.

He looked back and saw Lorna right behind him. He almost tripped and had to stumble to figure it out. By the time he did they had almost reached the drive. He still reached the end of the drive before her, but only barely.

"That's a damn fast bike," he said.

"Hank put some installments in it too," Lorna said, laughing and braking, "I had him do it without Alex knowing. You should've seen his face when he pressed the button on the side for the first time."

Peter laughed too. Maybe having sisters other than Wanda was going to be fun.


	11. Chapter 11

April 18, 1968

Moira woke up and yawned. Her husband shuffled next to her. She smiled and put her hand over his. It was so strange. Six years ago she had seen herself as a career woman, someone who would marry later in life, have a family even later if at all. Moira had never thought it was possible to have both.

There had been road bumps, of course there had been. She still remembered McCone screaming at her, demanding to know exactly where the mutants were. A contact number hadn't satisfied him, especially since Hank had wired it through a special router. It would take them their whole lives to try to find out just where the Institute was.

It was clever, and she had seen then how wasted Hank had been on the CIA. Just because he couldn't make weapons he'd been put in such a small part of research and development. Moira hadn't had time to be impressed then though. She could see Stryker's icy hate reflected at her behind McCone, a sure sign of vengeance to come.

And she had been blissfully ignorant. Perhaps having Charles erase her memories for a while had been extreme, but it had allowed her to play ignorant for so long. She had passed every lie test and been left with only a lingering sense of disquiet.

Then they hadn't needed her there anymore, and she'd remembered it all. Moira had quickly tendered her resignation and gone back up to New York. Charles had been waiting for her, nearly desperate. It had been six months, and he hadn't heard any word from her. He'd known it would be like that, but it had still made him worried.

Their relationship had taken off from there. Charles had been very discreet with their love, taking her away from the Institute for dinners and other events. He'd been highly aware of Erik's continuing pain over Susanna. Even at their wedding she knew he had asked Erik if he minded being his best man.

She was sure that Erik was going to be their baby's godfather. She smiled and rubbed a hand over her stomach. She felt fortunate. Moira finally had a man who understood her desire to make something of her life, a rewarding job where she could make a difference, and a child on the way. She was sure that someone was looking out for her.

Moira turned a little. She wanted to get up and stretch, but Charles's arms were still around her.

"Sorry love," she murmured.

She gently disentangled herself. He made a small noise and turned on his back, but didn't wake up. Moira smiled as she put a bathrobe over her nightgown. He was such a heavy sleeper. If there had been a nuclear war, he could have slept through it.

Moira got up and walked into their bathroom. She washed her face and combed her hair. Her pregnancy dresses were in there. She hated wearing dresses, but she had to admit that they were the most practical thing at this stage in her pregnancy.

She put on one and then headed out into the hallway. The sun was out already, summer was coming soon, and she could only sigh happily. Her child was going to be born soon, and she could tell that he was going to be welcomed in by clear skies and good weather.

Moira rubbed the back of her neck, laughing at herself, and began walking downstairs. She could get some of her forms done if she started soon. It also felt good to go down the stairs without Charles fussing over her. It was like he'd never seen a pregnant woman before.

She walked by the library, only to see someone inside. Moira frowned and walked back. Erik was seated there, turning a copy of a book over and over in his hands. She quickly turned and headed back upstairs.

They hadn't seen Erik since the day he'd returned with Wanda and Peter. Charles had told her that he wasn't going to contact Erik through his telepathy again. There'd been a scene apparently, so he knew not to do so again.

This was different. She opened the door to the room, winded, and sat down on the edge of Charles's bed. She shook him and he woke up, wincing in the light.

"Moira," he mumbled, "You know I don't get up until later-"

His eyes widened and he shot up.

"Are you having the baby?" he asked.

"What? No," Moira said.

He relaxed.

"Oh," he said, "Alright then."

"Is that the first thing that pops into your head?" she asked.

"These days? Yes," he said, laying down, "If it's not that, then I'm going to go back to sleep-"

"Erik's downstairs."

He sighed.

"Or not."

* * *

Charles knew that Erik was aware of him even before he came into the room. Erik wasn't the kind of person to be taken completely unaware. However, Charles didn't make a big deal out of it. He just walked quietly and sat down next to him.

Erik didn't even look up. Charles swallowed. He'd thought a million times about what he would say to his friend if he had the chance. It turned out that he wasn't as well-prepared as he'd thought that he would be.

"I'm going to be a father soon," Charles said.

Erik shifted slightly. It was as good a way to start.

"Ever since Moira came back with the results, all I've thought about the tiny life growing inside her is how happy I am, how proud," Charles said, "And I've been fortunate to be there every step of the way. I've been able to be there to help take care of her. I don't even know my son yet, but I already feel like I'm part of his life."

He cleared his throat.

"You didn't get that for Lorna," said Charles, "And I can't imagine the pain that you went through because of that."

He hesitated, but it was time to press home. Erik wasn't the only one suffering because of this revelation after all.

"And you didn't get that with Wanda and Peter either," Charles said, "I'm sorry about that too."

"Don't," Erik said.

"I have to," said Charles, "It's what friends do for each other."

Erik gave him a venomous look that clearly showed he disagreed.

"I know it's been seventeen years," Charles said, "But they still want to be a part of your life. They're good kids, even if I hear Peter's something of an arse. He's just a child though, and they've both been through so much-"

"And it's my fault."

Charles paused. Erik often had the ability to knock him speechless, even when he was the one who was trying to do the comforting.

"Sorry?" he asked.

"It's my fault that they went through so much," he said.

He rubbed his forehead.

"I've thought about it for a long time Charles," he said, "If I'd have known that they were alive...what would I have done? What would I have said? They'd have been in Virginia and I'd have been in another state. The money wasn't there for a move if I'd known. I'd have had Lorna and by the time Magda's husband was dead Anya would have been so young. I...I know that I would have stayed with the family that I had with Susanna because I couldn't have left them."

"We're talking hypotheticals," Charles said, aghast at how much his friend had thought about this.

"In that sense, yes," said Erik, "It's just...usually when people screw up this bad they can tell themselves that, if they'd known, they would have done things differently. It's how I managed to forgive myself for what I did to Susanna. I did go back, and I did marry her. I was a fool about it, but still."

He shook his head.

"But this, no, you can't do this differently," Erik said, "What would I have given them? Letters that their mother wouldn't have let them read? Child support? Not much, and it wouldn't have helped them."

"Again, hypothetically-" Charles tried.

"And they didn't have anyone to turn to but each other when they used the gifts that my DNA gave them," he said, "Lost and alone. I left them with that woman, even though I didn't know it. I made it so that they had to survive on their own."

"Don't focus on what could have been or what was," Charles said, "You can't do anything about that. Focus on the here and now. Yes, it's been seventeen years. But you're here now. They're not unwilling to speak to you."

At least, he hadn't seen any indication that they didn't want to. His friend looked away.

"There's something else," Charles said, "And I think I know what it is. You knew her better than that."

"What woman would be happy that her husband had illegitimate children?" he asked.

He'd been afraid of this.

"Susanna wasn't just any woman," Charles said, "Happy might be a strong word, and perhaps she would have been hurt, but I think she would have understood. You didn't know that Magda was pregnant Erik."

He winced, remembering the confrontation.

"You didn't even know her last name. I think Susanna would have understood in the end."

"She would have understood that I'd left another woman in the same situation as her," said Erik.

"Magda and Susanna are not the same."

"You know what I meant!"

"Yes, I do," Charles said, "And you're wrong. Susanna embraced Lorna after she saw her control metal, saw her hair turn green. She took you back after everything you went through, stood by your side, gave herself up to a madman to save her children."

Charles smiled.

"I didn't know Susanna very well," he said, "But I remember thinking that she was one of the best examples of humanity I'd seen. There are some people who personify everything that is worth saving and protecting in this world. I saw it, and still see it, in simple gestures, grand sacrifices, ordinary courage."

He waved his hands.

"I saw it in Moira abandoning her solid career in the CIA in order to help us make all of this," he said, "I see it in Levine continuing helping us even though it could cost him everything, in those young men who refused to get up from that lunch counter, in a man who was shot while visiting Dallas."

Charles closed his eyes against the pain that was welling in his chest.

"And yes, I see it in Alex going to Vietnam in an attempt to protect us all," he said, "God knows I might not agree with everything I'm seeing, but I agree with the feeling. They picked up burdens that they didn't have to carry for us all."

He saw his friend sag, deflated.

"You're the only one who can decide what to do next," Charles said, "But don't you dare use your wife as an excuse. Not when you know better."

Erik closed his eyes.

"I'll need to think about all of this," he said.

"Not for too much longer," warned Charles, "You don't get all the time in the world for this."

"I know," Erik said, "I think I would like to be left alone right now though."

Charles nodded. Perhaps that isolation would be used productively now. Charles got up and walked out of the room. He went up the stairs, only to find Moira at the top, her hands on her stomach. He sighed.

"It didn't go as well as I'd hoped," he said, "It also didn't go as bad as I'd thought it would-"

"Charles, I'm having the baby," she said.

Charles gulped.


	12. Chapter 12

April 18, 1968

Erik sat down in the waiting room. Charles kept looking around anxiously, his hands clasped together. Every now and then Charles got up and walked across the hallway, his eyes still darting around and his eyes wide. He'd already demanded to be let in, but hospitals hadn't changed much from when Erik's children had been born. Erik would have laughed, but it brought up too many memories of his time in a pediatric ward. Despite having four children, he'd only ever attended one birth, the one that had nearly cost his wife and daughter their lives.

Four children. God how did that happen? He tried to concentrate on his friend, on supporting him, but thoughts from his own messed-up life kept coming back to haunt him. Two children that he'd tried to protect, only to have Shaw attack them and put their mother beyond their reach. Two other children he'd abandoned to the cruelties of ignorant humans who didn't understand them.

He knew that Charles had told him that it wasn't his fault, and perhaps it wasn't. He wasn't good with this sort of thing, wasn't good with situations that didn't have an easy way out or weren't under his control. The only reason he'd been able to make it this far was because Susanna had understood his difficulties and Lorna had been, unfortunately, like him. Anya was just as sweet and patient as her mother, looking at him like he was something like a hero. It made him hate himself sometimes.

There was a cry, and Charles stopped his pacing. He strode towards the door to the room, his hands fidgeting. After a few minutes a nurse opened the door. She said a few words to Charles, who almost shoved past her in his haste to get inside.

Erik smiled to himself and looked down. He'd never had a moment like that. Erik wasn't feeling sorry for himself, not really, but it did make him sad to think that there had been no moments like that for his children. Three had been born out of his reach and the fourth's delivery had been so terrifying that his only feeling was of relief that both mother and child were alive.

The minutes ticked by. From what little he'd seen of Wanda and Peter, they'd had a hard life. They were, as Charles pointed out, good children. He should be proud to call them his, to try and make them part of his family. Why? Why couldn't he try?

No, the problem was his. He was afraid, and he hated it. He'd already failed them, and they were the one part of his failures that he could sever and remove. Oh, he should have severed everything else. Susanna had never let herself be removed though, and Lorna and Anya were too ingrained.

Perhaps it was better if he continued to push them away and ignore them. Perhaps their lives would be better if he just got out of it. What could he give them anyway? His issues and tempers had already affected his two daughters. Did he really want to expose his other children to that?

The door opened and Charles walked out, looking excited.

"Do you want to see your godson?" he asked.

"What?" Erik asked.

"I wanted to talk to you about this, but you were...busy," Charles said, the grin never faltering, "But yes. Godson. David."

He gestured in, still looking excited. Erik felt tired. Why did people insist that it was a good idea to expose him to children? But he got up anyway and followed Charles in, not wanting to ruin this moment for him.

Moira was a mess, but she was holding a small baby boy in her arms. Charles walked over and kissed her on the forehead. He put one hand on the squalling infant's head, and Erik could only watch, feeling something painful inside.

The floor was chugging along underneath him. It felt this way whenever he had to make a decision about his family. The train was moving underneath him, and he had to decide whether to stay on and jump off.

Erik closed his eyes and clenched his fists. No. He had to get off, just like he'd gotten off every other time. Yes, they were all so precious and he was a fool. Yet, he didn't really have a choice. The idea of letting them go was too painful.

"Erik?" Charles asked.

"Yes?"

"I was just asking about confirmation," Charles said, "Do you want to be the godfather?"

Erik smiled, even though he felt terrified.

"Yes," he said, "Yes I do."

* * *

How had Charles gotten so lucky? There were plenty of times in his childhood when he'd thought he would be better off dead. Hearing the voices when he was twelve had convinced him that he was insane, but seeing Raven had made him wonder if there was something brilliant out there.

Now he was convinced that, yes, there was brilliance. He was seeing it in the tiny blue eyes that stared at him from a midst of scrunched up red skin. David had entered the world in fine form, screaming at the top of his lungs. It looked like they were going to have quite a job on their hands.

Erik had left a few minutes ago to head back to the Institute. Charles hoped that he was going to think on what Charles had told him, but for the moment his world had narrowed to the small room that contained his family.

He'd been angry when they hadn't let him in, but he'd decided to make it up to Moira by staying the night. He'd wanted to stay with her until the second she came home, but she'd told him she wasn't going to deal with all of that paperwork by herself.

So he'd had to settle for the night. It was still amazing, and he loved the exhausted but proud look Moira gave him when she turned around.

"He's got your eyes," she said.

"I know," Charles said, "Hopefully he'll inherit my dazzling good looks as well."

Moira laughed.

"Hopefully he'll get my good sense then," she said.

"I look forward to that," Charles said.

He leaned down and kissed her. She smiled when he pulled away. Charles put a hand over her shoulders and she leaned her head against his. The future had never looked more beautiful, and Charles had never been happier.

* * *

April 18, 2008

Charles looked at the table in front of him, worry building up in him. Kitty looked nervous too, and Bobby just glared at him protectively. He knew that he was asking a lot of her, asking a lot of Bobby to risk losing someone, but that had become the norm. Everyone was asked for everything they could give, and then some.

He looked over his shoulder. David was standing there with Sharon. A rosary was looped in his son's belt, an addition that was only a year old and more in honor of its previous owner than anything. It still cut him to think of the loss of his nephew, the last thing he had of his sister. It had been the same battle that had cost his son his right eye. Sharon had been able to give him a cybernetic one along with some help from Bishop.

Erik was there too, along with Alex and Scott. Scott was quiet now, watching and waiting. Alex was silent as well as still. He never made unnecessary motions anymore, didn't even talk without a good reason.

The years hadn't been good to his oldest student. Half of Alex's face had been burned away in an assault last month. There were scars criss-crossing his back from a crash. His nose had been broken and healed crooked after the battle at the Institute. He still bore the tell-tale M of his brief incarceration amongst the Sentinels.

And Erik. His oldest friend and his greatest enemy. Charles looked at him and saw not injuries, but the weariness of someone who has outlived too many that they loved. Charles had long felt that same feeling, though not as long as Erik.

He nodded at him, and Charles understood. They were depending on him now. It killed him, but that's what it was. They were depending on his choice. If Logan couldn't make it, couldn't convince them what had happened, stop it, then it was over.

Charles wished he was strong enough, that his mind was powerful enough to make this journey. Instead he was forced to send Logan. It wasn't enough.

"So I wake up in my younger body, then what?" Logan asked.

"You're going to have to be patient," Charles said, "You'll find us in the height of our strength. Getting us to believe you will be easy enough, you can simply show me your memories, but getting us to do what needs to be done will be more difficult."

"Great," Logan said.

"You'll have to hold me back as well," said Erik, "I...will not be rational when you tell me what happens. I've made some of the worst decisions of my life based on what...on what I felt would protect my family."

"Maybe it's best you don't tell him everything," Charles said.

Logan nodded. They'd told him the complete story, or as much as they could manage. They knew that they were running out of time. It was only a matter of days until the he Sentinels found them. They always found them.

"Alright," Logan said.

"And don't ride my bike," said Scott.

Logan snorted again, but Charles could see the small smile on his face. Without a word he climbed onto the table and laid down. Charles watched as Kitty put her hands on either side of his head. The room soon filled with Logan's screams, but the sounds petered out into nothingness soon.

Charles closed his eyes. He knew where Logan was going. It was a world that he had once believed that, though not perfect, was at least working towards perfection. It was a world where he'd held his infant son and dreamed of a future of equality with David and Moira.

"I need to go out there," David said, his voice quiet.

Charles looked over at him. He grabbed his son's hand. David managed a smile back, squeezing Charles's hand. He remembered Moira asking him to take care of David. That had been fifteen years ago, when their son had been little more than a child.

Now he was a man grown. It didn't make it any easier to send him to what he knew was his death so close to the day that he had once seen him brought into this world.

_It's okay dad. It's going to be okay._

_I know,_ Charles thought, _I know._

He didn't though, and they both knew that. David gave him a lopsided smile. He began to walk out, Sharon close by his side. Hank's daughter had all of the grace that her father had never received, so much of his smarts and even more of his strength. David picked up her hand and kissed the back of it before they disappeared around the corner.

"They're going to need me out there," Alex said, his voice raspy from where his vocal chords had been burned, "I should be near Storm. We don't have too many people with long-range capabilities."

"Be careful," said Erik.

Alex just glanced at him before shaking his head. He paused on his way out and looked at Logan's still form.

"He's going to see her, isn't he?" he asked.

Charles nodded.

"Lucky bastard," Alex said.

"Yes," said Erik, "They're still there."

The two of them looked at each other, a look of shared pain. Alex nodded once before walking out. Scott drew level with him and Alex gripped his brother's shoulder as they headed out. It was a slightly different pain they shared. Scott had never met Lorna: but he had lost Jean.

Erik walked up to the table and looked down at Logan, his eyes glinting.

"All that time, wasted," he said, "Everything that we lost..."

He looked back at Charles.

"Is it really possible to turn back the clock?" he asked.

"Perhaps," said Charles, "We've always been fighting destiny. Maybe this time we'll win. It couldn't all have been in vain."

The words sounded weak, even to him. Erik gave him an unconvinced smile before walking out.

"I hope not," he said.


	13. Chapter 13

April 20, 1968

"Are you done with all of that yet?" Lorna asked.

Hank shrugged as he looked over his pages of notes. Next to her, Raven rolled her eyes. They were both impatient: it was nearly two weeks since they'd had their last mission. It was the only reason why she had taken Raven into the lab with her, since she knew that things were still a little strange between her and Hank. Usually she wouldn't be so eager, but with everything that was going on in the manor, she figured that she deserved a chance to get out.

There was still no new letter for Alex, and it was starting to scare her. She wished that she could talk to her father about it, but he hadn't made himself accessible. It was still difficult to express her feelings to her friends, Anya was too young, and she still knew so little about Wanda and Peter. She needed time before she would be comfortable telling them about all that. The only solution was to get away.

Besides, David's crying was going to be keeping her up soon. She'd need some sort of excuse to get away from that.

"Most of it," Hank said, "You can go through the pages I've already done. I ran it through a special program that I designed on the computer in the other room."

Lorna snorted. The computer was far too big and bulky. She figured that the room would be best served by something else, but Hank insisted. She reached over for some of the pages and started to read. From downstairs there was a knock on the door. Hank gave an annoyed sigh and got up.

"Who's that?" he asked.

"Maybe the Professor's back with Moira," she said, "They're supposed to be releasing her soon."

"I'm not so sure," Raven said, "They're not supposed to be back until later."

"Right, right," Hank said.

He took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead. There was another knock.

"If it is them, then they've probably got their hands full," Hank said, "I'll see about helping them out."

She nodded and kept pouring over the pages. Hank probably didn't want to be in the lab for so long with Raven in there. Maybe she shouldn't have even brought her. Well, she was there now. She sighed and passed a few of the pages to Raven.

There were a few dates in there, as well as plans for something called 'Project Wideawake." Lorna frowned and continued reading. It looked like Stryker Jr. was Trask's military attaché. There was some sort of link to the military community, that was sure.

Lorna kept reading. There was something about subjects now, a few words that Hank hadn't quite managed to translate. She began to read a little closer now. There were names and battalions, but they were listed as test subjects.

Her heart began to pound against her ribs. Oh God. They had seen some mutant experimentation, but never anything this extensive and controlled. She couldn't believe that they were just snatching soldiers, making them disappear-

"God. Lorna-" Raven said.

"I know," said Lorna.

She took a sharp breath, squeezing her eyes shut. Alex. How could she not have thought of him first? No, they couldn't know. Charles had warned him time and time again about using his powers in a war zone. He knew better than to expose his powers to strangers. Alex was smart.

There were noises downstairs, but she didn't pay any attention. She continued reading. Alex was safe, Alex was alright. He wasn't a fool. She kept chanting that to herself, hoping beyond hope that he hadn't been caught, that she wasn't going to see his name on these papers.

Towards the end of the document she began to feel her breathing level out. No, Alex was fine. He would need to be warned, she wasn't sure how, but she figured that they could figure everything out. If she talked to Hank they could figure it out.

Then she saw it. It wasn't a definite report, but she clearly saw the name "Summers" as a suspected mutant. Something about an antigen in his blood while they were doing preliminary medical tests. They were just waiting for some sort of confirmation.

Lorna took a deep breath, and then gripped the edge of the paper so tightly that the edges wrinkled.

"Raven," she said, "Raven-"

She mutely rubbed her thumb over Alex's name.

"Alex," Raven said.

Lorna swallowed. She threw the papers on the table and highlighted the name of the base, as well as the suspected mutant.

"What are you doing?" asked Raven.

"Taking notes," Lorna said, "I need all the evidence I can get to convince the Professor to go into Vietnam before the damn retrieval date on the documents-"

Her motions slowed. Could she convince them to go into Vietnam? Obviously they would want to rescue Alex and the other mutants. She had a feeling that they would disagree on the methods though. Perhaps they would talk about undercover operations, which would slow things down. They would try not to delay, but they would.

They were also affiliated with the government, which would make things difficult. She bit her lip. Would they even get the clearance to go into a war zone? If they didn't, but went anyway as they surely would, how terrible would the consequences be?

If this had been almost anyone else, she might have been able to wait for more information. She would have been much calmer about the situation. Alex hadn't written her in so long though, and he always did. If there was any sign that something had happened to him, then this was it.

Besides, a sly, rational part of her mind reminded her that a small strike force would be perfect in this situation. She would just need to go in as quietly as possible and get out the same way. They would never see her coming.

She scrawled a quick note on the paper and headed towards the entrance in Hank's lab.

"Lorna?" Raven asked.

"I need to go down there," Lorna said, "I need to save him. I need to make sure that they're-"

"Lorna, this isn't some factory or secret base. This is Vietnam!" said Raven.

There were noises from downstairs filtering in now and, as much as she wanted to see David, she knew she couldn't waste time. He would still be there when she got back, and he was the perfect distraction. Maybe they would never even notice she was gone if Raven didn't talk.

So she opened up the secret passage and headed down to the Blackbird hanger, Raven following her. She wished she would go away.

"Lorna, you can't just run over to Vietnam and take soldiers away from the army," Raven said.

"Watch me."

She had just stepped into the hanger when she heard a low whistle next to her.

"Jee-zus! You guys got a plane?"

She whipped around. Peter was standing there, his mouth open in rapt fascination.

"How did you get in here?" she demanded.

"Followed you," said Peter, still gawking at the plane, "Wanted ta ask you if there was any gum around here, I'm almost out, but then I saw you open a secret doorway, so I followed. But back to the plane-"

"It's a jet," Lorna said, rubbing her forehead.

"Even cooler! So, where we going?"

"We're not going anywhere!" Lorna snapped, "You're going upstairs!"

"Right now!" Raven said.

"Make me go up there and I'll tell everyone you're down here," said Peter.

She made her hands into fists. Having a little brother really was as annoying as it sounded in stories. Raven put her hands on her hips.

"You are going right back up there and-"

"Come on, lemme help," Peter begged, looking over at Lorna, "Sibling bonding!"

"It's dangerous," said Lorna.

"Yeah, I heard, Vietnam. I once robbed a bank with armored guards," Peter said.

"Why the hell would you do that?" Raven asked.

He shrugged. Raven obviously didn't know Lorna's brother very well.

"I was bored," he said, "So, can I come with you, or are am I getting someone? Or everyone. I'm not picky."

She glared at him. She was running out of time.

"If you come with me, then you stay on the jet," she snapped.

"What?" Raven said.

"Cool!" Peter said.

"We don't have time to argue," said Lorna, "We need to get over there."

She looked at Raven. Her friend was looking at her doubtfully. They didn't have time for this, they really didn't.

"Please, trust me," she said.

* * *

Logan hadn't expected to get into a fight so soon after coming in the door. He also didn't know that Hank could be so touchy. The Hank that he'd known had been calm and inquiring, perhaps a little timid. He hadn't been this bold or self-assured. He also hadn't been this aggressive.

He wiped his chin where Hank had clocked him. He supposed that he probably shouldn't have snapped at the little girl in pigtails who'd run into the room, but she'd run right over his foot and he wasn't exactly in the mood. Not with everything he knew.

The front door opened and Charles walked in, talking to someone out of the doorframe. He turned around and stared at him. Logan had to stare back. The lines were gone from his friend's face. He had hair. His face was open and friendly, not tired and beaten down by all of the weight in the world. This was before losing everything after all.

Then there was Moira, who came in behind him. It had been decades since he'd seen her, but she and the child in her arms was unmistakable. David had started crying when they came into the room. He had to repress a tired smile. Despite what the younger X-men thought, David did know how to cry.

"Hank, what on earth is going on here?" Charles asked.

Logan looked behind him at the shattered table. Right.

"He was mean to Anya."

His eyes widened. He recognized the girl in the doorway immediately. Wanda. However, the little girl with her was Anya? He turned his head and got a good look at her. She looked shy and unhappy, probably because some idiot had just snapped at her, but her doe-like eyes were the same shade as her father's. Her whole frame was slight, and her face was round. She looked like a Norman Rockwell painting.

God, what the years could do.

"I can't approve of that," Charles said, walking forward, "But I can't approve of fighting either-"

"Look, bub," said Logan, getting up, "This'll go a lot faster if you'll just read my mind."

Charles frowned. Yeah, that looked more familiar these days. Moira walked forward, her expression shrewd. They exchanged a look. Logan had forgotten that they did that. Then Charles put two hands to his temples.

"As you wish," Charles said.

Logan's mind went to the small room where he knew that the rest of his team was hiding. He thought of the years they had spent fighting, of the gradual decline of the world as they knew it. He thought of the death and pain, but didn't let him see which of the people in the room would survive the oncoming storm. He let Charles's own voice tell him about their only hope for victory, a slender, almost impossible hope.

Charles stumbled back. Moira put a hand to steady him, her eyes flashing furiously at Logan. Logan got to his feet, holding out a hand. He had to let her see that he wasn't going to harm her, her son, her husband, or her students. He remembered enough about her to want to stay on her good side.

"Oh my God," Charles murmured.

He looked up at Logan.

"What...what can we do?" he asked.

"It's going to start soon," Logan said, "You need to make sure no one leaves."

"What?" Hank asked.

"I'll explain later," Charles said, "Hank, do you know where everyone is?"

"Darwin and Sean are downstairs in the game room. Lorna and Raven are in my lab," said Hank.

Charles closed his eyes. A second later his eyes widened.

"No, they're not," he said, "Hank, get up there, now!"

Hank took off up the stairs. Anya stepped forward, her eyes big as saucers. God, this was what she'd been like before?

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing if I can help it," Logan said.

"That's not an answer. What's going on?" asked Moira.

"It's a very long story," Charles said.

He put his hand to his temples.

"I'm getting Erik," he said, "Moira, everyone-"

Hank thundered back down the stairs.

"Professor, I checked the access codes and there was a note," he said, his voice shaking, "The Blackbird's gone."

No. He couldn't be too late. What date was it? Logan had thought he'd had a few more hours.

"Whose access codes were used?" Charles asked

Logan looked away. He already knew.

"Lorna and Raven's."


	14. Chapter 14

April 20, 1968

"We need to get after them," Charles said, "We need to-"

"You won't catch them," Logan said.

"How do you know?" snapped Charles.

"Easy. Do you have something faster than the Blackbird?" Logan asked.

Charles ran a hand through his hair. Logan could feel that everyone's eyes were still on him, but the damns he could give were rapidly running out.

"No," he said.

"Then you can forget chasing after them," Logan said, "Try hailing them, mentally, through the comms, whatever it takes."

"Hank, go back upstairs and try to make contact," said Charles.

Hank nodded and raced back upstairs. On the way up he nearly ran into a man who was all too familiar to Logan.

"What's all this?" Erik asked.

Logan instinctively curled his fingers inwards. His claws ached to come out. Some instincts never really went away.

"Just gonna go find Lorna," Hank gasped.

He pushed past Erik and moved away. Erik looked after him before turning to the group on the ground floor. Logan felt his eyes on him, before Erik dismissed him.

"Charles, what is going on with my daughter?" Erik said.

"She's gone on a mission," Charles said.

"Without authorization?" Erik asked.

He snorted.

"She may be angry at me, and stubborn, but she knows better than to-"

"Alex is in danger," Charles said, "It looks like she didn't think we would authorize the mission."

Erik paused. Moira shifted David and moved forward, an intense, worried curiosity in her eyes.

"Of course we would authorize it," Erik said, "Charles, this is-"

"He's still in Vietnam," Charles said, "The logistics of putting a jet into that area, I don't even think that she knows what she's getting herself into."

Erik went quiet, his eyes flicking around. Logan thought that they rested on Wanda and Anya for a moment.

"My family does have a habit of making the poorest decisions when we're the most concerned about the people we love," Erik said.

Moira cleared her throat.

"Flying a jet into Vietnam seems a little extreme though," she said, "Does she have any idea of the military arsenal over there?"

"No one would be able to shoot at it," said Erik, coming down the stairs, "The Blackbird's too advanced. It should be able to outrun most of the air power, and they have Lorna on it. I'd like to see a jet that can go up against her."

"But both the military and the CIA is watching for aerial operations. They might not be able to find it on a small outing stateside, but a big one in a war zone? They'd notice that. She knew enough to think that we might need to delay it," said Moira, "We would have to call Levine who might not have jurisdiction...the channels we'd have to...it would take time to be able to do that with minimum risk."

"It's unlikely they'd let us fly in there, even with good cause," Charles said.

"Lorna's given us plausible deniability if they find it," muttered Erik, "She's tried to make this easier."

Logan couldn't let this continue on for too much longer. The details weren't really important right now. He looked upwards impatiently. There wasn't any time if they couldn't hail them within the next few hours. From what he'd heard about Lorna, and what he knew about Raven and Peter, they could very well have just switched their communication system off.

Soon they might even be out of Charles's range, even with Cerebro. It was still in its infancy, and Charles hadn't quite come into his full power.

"Maybe we can have Peter run after them," Wanda said, looking nervous, "I'm not sure about him outrunning a jet, but he might-"

"He's gone with them," said Logan.

"What?"

The 'what' was twofold. He could hear Wanda's voice merging with Erik's. He saw both Wanda and Anya turn to Erik, perhaps surprised at the note of panic in his voice. Had this really been what it had been like? Had it really been this complicated?

"We need to slow down here," Moira said, "What is going on?"

Logan pinched the bridge of his nose.

"In exactly seven hours Lorna, Raven, and Peter are going to arrive in Vietnam," Logan said, "They're going in to rescue Alex from someone who's rounding up mutants for a series of experiments on how to deal with mutants. Then the mission is gonna go wrong."

"And how exactly do you know this?" Erik demanded.

Logan fixed him with an irritated glare.

"I'm from the future."

Several pairs of eyes looked at him, a mixture of bewilderment and suspicion reflected in them.

"He's actually telling the truth," Charles said.

The eyes turned. The look in them was the same, but they were directed at Charles now.

"How about we all go to my study?" Charles asked, "It's something of a long story."

* * *

"So you guys are secret crime fighters in your spare time?" Peter asked, "Nifty."

Raven glanced over at Lorna. Her jaw was clenched as she flew the Blackbird, her eyes locked in front of her. She cleared her throat and then looked back over at Peter. She didn't want to deal with Lorna's half-brother at the moment, but she didn't have much choice.

"Pretty much," Raven said, "It started about six years ago. That was kind of complicated."

Peter frowned.

"Wait, isn't that how long Lorna's mom's been in a coma?" he asked.

Raven bit her lip and nodded.

"I'm guessing the guy who wanted to kill her was involved in that," Peter said.

"Yes," Raven said, "He um..."

She closed her eyes, trying to shut out her memories of that terrible night.

"He was a new kind of evil," she said.

"I'm getting that," Peter said.

He crossed his legs thoughtfully and sat up.

"So, when we get there, what do I do?" he asked.

"You don't do anything."

Raven glanced over. Lorna was still staring straight ahead, but her words were still firm.

"You need me," Peter said, "I'm fast and-"

"We don't actually need you," Lorna said, "It's unlikely that I could have done this by myself, I would've had to be very careful, but Raven's with me."

Raven nodded. It was why she had agreed to Lorna's plan. Lorna, although impetuous and more than a little hard-headed, was her friend. She'd been the one to tell Raven that she was fine being unusual. While she wasn't quite sure about all of that, it felt good to hear it. She'd stand by Lorna while they saved her fiance and Raven's friend.

"What are you gonna do exactly?" Peter scoffed.

Raven shifted her skin until she was a copy of Peter before shifting back.

"My mutation's actually very useful for this kind of thing," she said, "It'll get me into this camp, somehow or another, which'll get Lorna in. Together we're going to be able to free Alex. We're highly trained and we know what we're doing. We don't need you complicating matters."

"But I'm fast!" Peter said, "I can help!"

His insistence was exasperating. Perhaps it was just another sign that he was related to Lorna.

"Peter, I know you have a powerful mutation," said Lorna, "And I don't doubt that you're adaptable. But the fact of the matter is that you're still-"

"Young?" Peter snapped, "I did the math. You must've been sixteen when all this shit started."

"Yes," said Lorna, "I was sixteen. And I requested a flight suit and entered a battle to stop Russia and America from tearing the world apart. I am fully aware of how young I was."

"So why are you-?"

"Because I'm not trying to say that you're too young!" Lorna said, "If you hadn't interrupted, then you'd know that I was trying to say that you're inexperienced!"

"I mentioned all of the heists that I've done, right?" asked Peter, "I know I mentioned em. They were dangerous too, and I still did it. I'm not dead yet."

"Unfortunately, 'I'm not dead yet,' is not a good reason to let someone in on a special ops mission," Lorna said.

Raven sighed and leaned back on the control board. She noticed that the comm link was beeping.

"Lorna, I think they know that we've gone," she said, "I think they're trying to hail us."

"Ignore it," Lorna said, her eyes still fixed on Peter.

Peter threw his hands up.

"Look, I'm here, so you might as well use me," he said.

"Also not a good reason," said Lorna.

"You let me come!"

"So you wouldn't blab!" Lorna said, "I don't think you understand just how precarious all of this is. One wrong step and we could put everyone in Westchester in danger. The best way to deal with that is to give them deniability!"

Peter gave her a long look.

"You really think Alex is in danger, huh?" he asked.

"I know he is," she snapped, "I saw records of what they do to the poor bastards they capture. I read what they..."

She jerked away and stared at the front of the plane.

"It's not happening to Alex," she said, "It's not. That's all there is to it."

"All the more reason to let me help," Peter said, "Look, Lorna, you know what I can do. I might give you a good chance of success."

"The answer's still no."

Peter gave her a bitter look.

"Is this because I'm your brother and you're getting all protective?" he demanded, "That's not important!"

Lorna closed her eyes for a minute before opening them slowly.

"Raven, could you take the controls for a minute?" she asked.

"I'm not really good at flying this thing," said Raven.

"Just keep it steady for a while," Lorna said, "And keep flying straight."

A little uncomfortable, Raven watched as Lorna unbuckled and got up.

"Coming from someone who has a brother," Raven murmured, taking the controls, "They can be pretty tenacious when it comes to staying with their sisters."

"I'm getting that," whispered Lorna.

Raven continued flying, but kept a close eye on Peter and Lorna. Lorna walked up to Peter, her hands held limply by her sides.

"Listen, this isn't just because you're my brother," she said, "It's because you might be a liability out there. I might risk an untrained operative on a small scale operation, or one that your skills were really, really necessary for. But they're not right now."

She put a hand on Peter's shoulder comfortingly. Peter gave her a defiant look.

"I'm not gonna go back to Wanda and tell her that I letcha go off into danger without helping," he said.

Lorna smiled.

"You're not letting me do anything," she said.

Raven started as Lorna shoved Peter's head into the wall of the jet. He slumped to the floor, unconscious.

"What the hell?" Raven said.

"I'm not risking him following us," said Lorna, "He'll get a bump on his head, and that's all. I didn't do it hard enough to concuss him, so don't give me that look."

She gaped at Lorna as Lorna picked up some of the cords they used for ziplining and began to tie him up.

"You just hit your brother's head into the wall," Raven said.

"I'm aware," Lorna said.

"This is getting insane," said Raven.

Lorna looked up, her green eyes glowering. Raven had seen that look far too much from her father right before Charles asked her to leave the room.

"Raven, I appreciate you doing this for me. I really do," Lorna said, "But I am willing to do anything necessary to protect my family, and Peter would have followed us even if we'd said no. He's too fast: we couldn't have stopped him. I'm doing what I have to to keep him out of that."

Her voice became bitter.

"I'd have done the same to Alex if I could've stopped him from going to Vietnam."

She tied his ankles together.

"I couldn't save him from that, but I can save Peter," Lorna said, "And, God willing, we can save Alex before anything else happens to him."

She continued to tie up her brother, slowly and methodically.

"I'm glad that you're on our side," said Raven.

"Me too," Lorna murmured.

* * *

"They're shipping us out tomorrow."

Alex continued to look down, his hands clasped in front of him.

"Alex?" Todd asked.

He still didn't look up. Stryker's words were echoing in his ears. He wanted the Institute. Oh, he knew that something bad was going to happen to him too, but this man was going after the Institute. There was a strange ferocity in Stryker's eyes that let Alex knew that he meant it.

"They're not actually sending us home, are they?"

He looked up at the tremor in his friend's voice.

"No," Alex said.

Todd licked his lips with the tip of his purple tongue.

"We need to get out of here," he said.

"And go where?" asked Alex.

Todd fell silent. He sat down next to Alex, his breathing harsh.

"We're going to die then," he said.

Alex glanced at him.

"Just stay close to me when the time comes," he said.

"Why?" asked Todd.

"Because there's strength in numbers," he said.

Alex looked back down at his hands. His thoughts swirled back to the Institute, his friends, mentors, to Lorna. He still wanted to apologize to her, tell her that he was sorry, but it didn't look like he was going to come home.

Because there was no way he was betraying the Institute. Alex was going to escape or die trying.


	15. Chapter 15

April 20, 1968

Erik breathed in deeply. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to calm himself down. The rest of the team were in Charles's office. Sean and Darwin had been summoned up, and they were looking at Logan with pale faces.

He couldn't blame them. He felt sick himself.

"So, in the future, they're going to create death machines for our race," Erik said, his voice harsh.

"Yes," Logan said.

Moira took a deep breath and clutched David close to her chest. His own thoughts went to his children, his impetuous, brave Lorna and his sweet and innocent Anya. He even thought of Wanda and Peter. Though shame still burned within him, he didn't want them hurt.

God alone knew that he had never wanted that. Although Wanda had desperately asked about her brother, he'd insisted on having her wait out in the hall. Anya had waited with her. When had those two even met?

"And what Lorna is doing...it's mixed up in this?" he asked.

Logan nodded, although he looked wary.

"Alexander Summers was selected to be a part of a bigger experiment," he said, "I know you all know who Trask is."

Erik stiffened.

"They rescue him, but they take it to the next level when they follow up on a secondary lead," Logan said, "Trask has his people catch up with them there. They get taken."

His mind whirred with possibilities, each one of them making his stomach churn. He knew that Trask was at least doing preliminary experiments on mutants. What would he do to his brash daughter? The fast-talking teen with his eyes, his son?

"You all search for them, but it takes a long time to find them," said Logan, "In the meantime, they start...'researching.'"

His voice was bitter.

"Raven's DNA gives him the key he needs to make his Sentinels adaptable," Logan said, "His company really figures it out after his death a couple decades later, but they lay the groundwork now. When they were put into production, that's when it began."

The room fell silent. Hank was staring at Charles, almost helplessly. Darwin and Sean kept sharing looks, and Erik could feel his heart thrumming inside.

"What happens to Lorna and Peter?" Erik asked.

He knew that it wasn't the best question to ask. He knew that he should try to focus on the world-altering disaster, but he could only think of his children.

"They got out," Logan said, "After a while."

That was too long.

"Charles, use Cerebro," Erik said.

"Erik, it might be dangerous since they're flying. It could cause one of them-" said Charles.

Erik strode up to him, grabbing his arms.

"I don't care," he said, "They're my children Charles."

Charles's eyes flickered over to David. Erik was glad. His friend finally understood what it meant to be a father, what that cloying, deep fear in the pit of your stomach was.

"It's not just the team going to Vietnam that's in danger," Logan said.

He whipped his head around.

"What?"

"They're going to attack the Institute," Logan said, "Two days from now."

"How do they know where we are?" asked Moira.

"We never really found out," Logan said.

"It doesn't matter right now," said Charles, "We have to concentrate on evacuating the children. There are several houses by the lake, rather secluded. I think that they should be habitable, although I know that moving this many children won't be easy."

"We should do it in shifts," Hank said.

"Right," said Darwin, "We can start with the youngest and then work our way up to the teachers. Sean and I can go with the first wave, make sure their protected."

"Have a teacher or two go with them too though," Sean said, "Some of the kids are kinda young. We need at least one person coordinating it all."

As one they looked at David and Moira. Erik let go of Charles, and Charles walked up to Moira.

"Hell no," she said, "You're going to need me. None of you ever bothered to learn morse code."

It was true. Morse wasn't the only thing they hadn't bothered to learn either. They also hadn't learned several other lines of government code that Moira was proficient in.

"We'll keep in touch with you and give you any information that we get that needs to be decoded," Darwin offered.

Moira glared at him.

"It's doable," Charles said, "Difficult but doable."

"I don't care," Moira said, "I'm not leaving you."

Charles gave her a pained look.

"Moira, there's no one that I would prefer to have by my side," he said, "But I think that I would trust you with the lives of our students more."

She glared at him, but Erik could see where her expression was softening slightly. Charles let his hand touch his newborn son's forehead.

"And I trust you with the life of our son," he said.

Moira's eyes filled with tears.

"Damn you," she said.

Charles reached out and hugged Moira tightly.

_Erik...I'll try to find Raven and your children with Cerebro as soon as I..._

_I understand_, Erik thought.

It was difficult, but Charles was going to be sending his wife off into the unknown with their son. He would be asking her to guard what was by far the most precious thing in his life, along with his dream, while the others raced to save their kind from future extinction.

He turned away, motioning to the others to give them a moment of privacy. He opened the door and saw Wanda and Anya standing outside it. Anya had to move away. She'd been listening at the keyhole.

Darwin and Sean took one look at the situation and scurried away. Hank stayed by the door, looking nervously at Erik's daughters with Logan nearby. It looks like he was going to have an audience no matter what.

"How much do you know?" he asked.

"We're gonna hafta leave," said Anya, "Is Lorna and everyone gonna be okay?"

"Yes to both. But don't worry, you'll just be gone for a little bit," he said, forcing confidence he didn't feel into his words, "Just until we figure out what to do next. You'll have to go to the biology cabins by the lake."

"That's far," Anya said.

"It won't be too bad. I promise."

She folded her hands in front of her.

"Are you coming with us?" she asked.

Erik sighed.

"I can't," he said, "I'm needed here."

Anya nodded. He hated that she always seemed to understand.

"Is mom coming?" she asked.

Erik felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach. Susanna, of course. How were they going to move her? Erik didn't want his wife in a house that might come under attack. He thought of her, asleep and helpless, depending on him to protect her.

She would have to be in the second wave though. There was too damn much medical equipment to be able to move her safely.

"Yes," he said, "I don't have to ask...you've always been good at taking care of her."

Anya smiled, but he could see sadness in her. He had never meant for his children to wear that expression.

"What about Peter and Lorna?"

He looked up. Wanda was looking at him through slitted eyes. She was trembling, but Erik couldn't decide if it was from nerves or anger.

"We're taking care of it," he said.

"You're not going to tell me anything else?" asked Wanda.

"It's okay," Anya said, "They fix things. They're good at that."

Erik wished he had his daughter's faith.

"That's not good enough," Wanda said.

She squared her shoulders.

"I'm coming with you," she said.

"No, you're not," said Erik.

She gave him a filthy expression. There wasn't time for this.

"I can help-"

"You are going to stay here," Erik said, "Or more specifically, you're going to evacuate to the biology cabins."

"While my brother and sister might be going to their deaths?" Wanda said, "I know that my powers are capable of-"

"Causing minor changes," said Erik, "It's not the draw that you think it is."

"You're wrong there bub," he said.

Erik whipped around. Logan was standing there, giving Wanda a speculative look. No.

"Her powers are stronger than you think they are," Logan said.

"What do you mean?" said Wanda, looking puzzled, "I know that I can change surroundings, but-"

Logan snorted. Erik wasn't going to let him say anything else though.

"You need to shut up right now," Erik hissed, "I don't care when you're from. You don't get to make this decision."

"Neither do you," Wanda spat.

When he looked at her again, her eyes were on fire. Wanda had her arms folded across her chest and Anya was looking up at her, worried.

"Wanda," she said.

"You don't get to tell me what to do," she said, "You've made it perfectly clear that you don't want to be my father. And that's your choice."

Her voice caught, but she continued speaking.

"But Peter and Lorna are my siblings, and I'm not going to let them go off into danger without-"

"They're already in danger!" Erik roared.

He clenched his hands into fists. Wanda was looking at him with wide, scared eyes. His own heart was pounding, threatening to burst his brain. He would have welcomed it.

"Yes," he said, "I've been a terrible father, but that doesn't mean I want to see you hurt. Despite the evidence to the contrary, it doesn't mean that I don't care. And I'll be damned if I have another one of my children rush off into the unknown."

Erik shook his head.

"As I've said, my family does have a habit of making the poorest decisions when we're the most concerned about the people we love," he said, "And I've lost people I loved, but I'll be damned if I let that happen again."

Erik gritted his teeth.

"At least two of you will be safe this way," he said.

Wanda stared at him, her wide eyes blinking back tears. Erik wondered if she was going to say something, but then the door opened. Charles walked in, his hand around Moira's shoulders. She still looked unhappy, but she also looked determined.

"We need to get started," she said.

Erik looked at his daughters. Wanda still looked upset. Perhaps he had ruined things between them forever. At least she would be safe though. Anya was, strangely enough, looking at him with something like pride. Why was that?

He could figure it out later.

"As soon as we evacuate, the better," he said.

* * *

Anya was getting very scared, and the fear was building as she threw a few changes of clothes in a backpack. She didn't like the feeling that was growing in the pit of her stomach. She didn't like packing up, didn't like leaving her mother without someone to brush her hair that night.

They'd insisted that she go in the first group though. They were taking everyone fourteen and under in the first one, and Anya was still only twelve. She felt so much older than that. She had asked Hank to give her a new age, let her stay. He'd said no.

Wanda got to stay. She was seventeen and, as much as her father had argued, she would be better equipped to defend herself if something happened. Her group was leaving in the morning. They were going to get one more nice night in the Institute before going off to the cabins.

She'd been so happy with her father when he'd called Wanda her sister. He was saying the right thing, doing the right thing. Wanda was her sister, and she'd been wrong about why he was avoiding them. Anya still didn't know why he was avoiding them, but she knew that it wasn't because he didn't love them. He loved them. He'd just need to find a way to show it.

That was the only good thing that had happened that day. Lorna, Peter, Raven, Alex, they were all in danger. Everyone was in danger it seemed. She didn't even know why, except that a strange man had come in through the door and said he was from the future.

She hadn't been this scared since Cuba, since she'd curled up in bed next to her mother. She couldn't do that anymore though. There wasn't time.

"Anya?"

She looked up as Moira opened the door.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked.

No. She would never be ready to go.

"Yes," she lied.

She would make do. It was the only thing she was good at really. That and making friends. It didn't seem like that would help in this situation though.


	16. Chapter 16

April 21, 1968

Alex glanced at the two orderlies in the back of the room. He didn't like the way that they were muttering to each other. He also didn't like the look that they kept giving each other, the clinical, curious ones. They weren't viewing them as people anymore. They were looking at them like a science project.

The other soldiers were picking up on it too. They knew something was wrong, but they didn't know how wrong. Alex had considered telling them, but he wasn't sure whether or not it would cause a panic. He'd seen what some of them were capable of, and if they panicked it would be bad for all of them.

He trusted Todd, which was why he'd told him to stay close. There was no point in telling him about the deep sadism he'd seen reflected in Stryker's eyes. Todd was already on edge enough as it was.

A nurse and a general walked in, the general standing stiffly at attention. The nurse walked behind him, her head down. Her hair was a little messy, her blonde hair falling around her face and covering half of it. The rest of it was pulled back in a sloppy blonde ponytail.

There was something familiar about the way she walked. The general turned to him and winked. Alex cocked his head, but Todd sat down next to him. He turned his head to see him. Todd was nervous and scared, but he was keeping it under control. Just barely.

"I hear we're leaving soon," he said.

"Right," Alex said.

Todd nodded.

"I'm sticking close," he said.

"Good," Alex said.

Todd moved slightly away and sat at the bunk next to Alex. Next to them Alex heard the general talking to the orderlies.

"What is all this?" the general asked, "Where's it going?"

"It's all getting shipped back," the orderly said.

Alex swore under his breath: Todd was right. He wondered when the best time to escape was once they got there. As he pondered drop zones and military bases, Stryker walked in, flanked by four soldiers. He looked over at Alex and grinned. Alex glared back at him, his hands clenching into fists.

"Alright everyone, you're shipping out," he said.

One of the soldiers with him opened a case. He began to fill syringes with a thick liquid. Alex began to feel something cold inside him.

"What are you doing with those?" Todd asked.

"Something to make your ride a little smoother," Stryker grinned.

They were going to be drugged. There would be no chance of escape once that drug got in his system. Alex began scanning the small tent, looking for a way out, for anything he could use. He'd take his chances in the jungle.

"We're transferring you to a private facility where we can run a few more tests," Stryker said.

The general turned and began walking towards Stryker. The nurse walked near him, her head still down, but she crossed to the other side of the room where Stryker's escort were. Alex flicked his eyes in between the two.

"Your men are not military," the general said.

Alex raised an eyebrow. No way was anyone standing up for them this late in the game. Stryker turned, still beaming, and handed him a card.

"Private outfit," he said smoothly.

The general glanced at the card and put it in his pocket. There was a crinkle in Stryker's brow. It made Alex zero in on the conversation even further. Whatever was happening, it wasn't going according to Stryker's plan. That was good news to him.

"These troops are going home," the general said.

Alex lowered his eyebrow and looked at Todd. Something was happening, and they would need to be ready to act.

"I don't believe you have jurisdiction in this matter."

"I'm afraid I do son," the general said, walking forward and looking at Stryker's tags.

There was a pause. Then the general yanked the tags from Stryker's neck and his skin shifted. For a brief, glorious moment, Alex saw familiar red hair and blue skin. He felt the remaining cold go away as Mystique belted Stryker across the face.

He scrambled to his feet, just as the soldiers began to level their weapons. Mystique grabbed Stryker and yanked him in front of her, a human shield. He raced to her side, red light already gathering in his hands. The two orderlies moved, and he sent two quick blasts their way.

The soldiers got into position, and he could see that they were just about ready to fire. Alex turned around, getting ready for a much bigger blast. After everything that had happened, he was ready to take on the bastards.

Before he could do anything, two of the soldiers rammed into the other two, dragged by their guns. He saw the nurse walking towards them, her hands outstretched. As she turned he got a good look at her face, a good look at her glowing eyes.

Everything stopped. Somewhere, he knew Mystique had hit Stryker again. Somewhere she was talking to the other soldiers. Somewhere he knew that Todd was asking him if he knew these people, if he knew what was going on.

But she was looking at him, stretching her fingers.

"We told you to be careful, didn't we?" she said, her voice wry.

He continued to stare.

"We told you, but did you listen? I-"

Alex strode forward. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips to hers, closing his eyes as tightly as possible. He could feel her warmth beneath his lips, putting his hands in her hair, knocking her ugly wig off and twining his fingers in her pure green strands.

Her lips moved beneath his and his lungs burned for air. Alex couldn't move though. He was too scared to pull away, too scared to open his eyes, because she might not be there when he did. He might die if that happened now.

He felt her fingertips on his cheek and, hesitantly, he pulled away.

"You're here," he whispered.

Alex could feel her breath tickle his skin. It took more than that to make him open his eyes though, more to give him that courage.

"Alex."

He opened his eyes. Lorna was looking at him, her eyes wide. Alex could feel his vision blurring slightly.

"I've missed you," he said, "So much..."

Lorna smiled softly, letting her fingers drop to his shoulder.

"Me too," she said, "Let's get you home."

Her hand lowered and wrapped around his. A groan shattered their peace, alerted him to the presence of others. He turned and saw everyone staring at him, although Mystique had her eyebrows raised and a smile on her lips.

The groan had come from Stryker though. Alex moved towards him, but Lorna cut him to the chase. She knelt down and grabbed the front of his shirt, yanking him up. His eyes opened and Lorna snarled.

"Look at me," she said.

He blinked and Lorna's eyes began to glow green. Alex saw her father in her then, saw the rage simmering under the surface.

"You don't mess with us," she said, "And I don't just mean us. I mean all of us, every goddamn mutant in the goddamn world."

Her voice lowered to a hiss.

"We want to live in peace," she said, "We want to be left alone."

There was a little bit of gentleness in her voice now, a controlled one, but it was still there. He could practically hear her forcing the words from her lips.

"We don't want a fight. We never did-"

"Freak!"

Stryker spat at her. The spittle hit Lorna's left cheek. Alex growled and took another step forward, but Lorna let go and let Stryker drop to the ground. He tried to get up, but she waved her hand. A group of metal bars detached themselves from a shelf and twisted into handcuffs.

Lorna wiped the spit off with her hand and then dried it on Stryker's shirt.

"You need some anger management classes," she said, "And let me make one thing perfectly clear. You do this again, and we will find you. All of us."

She reached inside her pocket and pulled out a roll of silver duct tape.

"Now, shut up and think about that," she said.

Lorna placed a thick piece over Stryker's lips. She picked up her wig from the ground and began stuffing her hair back into it. She looked over at Alex, who gave her a small grin. He knew it should wait until later, but the urge to tell her how sorry he was for all of this was so strong that it was a struggle.

"We've got a plane," Mystique said, "We can get you out of here."

Some of them looked at each other uncertainly.

"Hey, it's either with us or with them," Alex said, pointing to Stryker.

There was a chorus of agreement. Lorna motioned to the front of the tent and Mystique stepped in front of her. She shifted her skin and turned back into the general.

"Just follow us," Mystique said.

They left the tent, moving quickly through the busy camp. After a few steps Alex heard Todd fall in next to him.

"That's your girl?" he murmured.

Alex grinned and nodded. Todd paused, cocking his head from side to side.

"Does she have a sister?" he asked.

"Yeah. One that's way too young for you," muttered Alex.

"How young is that?"

"Twelve."

"Ugh. Shouldn't have asked," Todd muttered, "Can't blame a guy for trying though."

Todd stayed mercifully quiet until they cleared the base. Once they had Alex gave him a small wave and moved next to Lorna. It would have looked too suspicious to see the two of them so close at the base. Now he could bask in her proximity, even if they weren't in the clear for a full-on discussion.

They moved into a jungle thicket and the Blackbird came into view. Mystique pulled out a remote and the walkway lowered. Alex climbed in, remembering the familiar smell of metal and leather. He closed his eyes and walked in, just inhaling. Then he eagerly opened his eyes, taking in the familiar sights of the control panel, the seats-

-the strange boy tied and duct taped to a chair glaring at them.

"Um, who's that?" Alex asked.

"Long story," Lorna said, taking off her wig, "I'll just say stowaway for right now."

"Uh," said Todd, taking a seat.

"It's okay, we're untying him as soon as we get airborne," Mystique said.

Alex gave the boy an uneasy look.

"Lorna, this is weird," he said.

"I actually am planning on explaining," she said, "We just need to get airborne."

Alex sighed and sat down next to the boy. He buckled in and sighed again.

"Whoever you are, sorry," he said, "We usually don't do this, and I hope that there was a really good reason involved."

"I told you, stowaway," Lorna said, "Couldn't have him following us."

She pulled back on the controls. The plane took off and Alex had to smile. Despite the strange presence of the boy, the rumble was comforting and familiar.

"The Institute's hailing us," Mystique said, "I think I felt Charles in my head earlier, but I kind of know how to block him. Should I-?"

"Nothing they can do now," Lorna said.

Mystique flipped the switch. Alex saw the rest of the soldiers start to inch away from the main cockpit. He really hoped there was a good reason for having the boy tied up.

"Lorna?"

Erik. Now that Alex thought of it, it was a little weird that the rest of them weren't on this mission.

"Yeah dad?" Lorna asked.

There was a deep sigh.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Come straight back," said Erik.

Lorna frowned.

"What, no lecture?" she said, "And I'm still mad at you you know."

"Understood. Just come home. No stops."

The conversation was getting weirder by the minute.

"Really?" Mystique asked, pulling out the card Stryker gave her and looking at it, "Because there's a Trask Industries facility that's on the way to Westchester. It's not that far actually, and if we drop off the people we picked up before we-"

"NO!"

The voice that came over the comm was a mixture of a growl and a snarl. Even Alex jumped.

"Who was that?" Lorna asked.

"I'll tell you when you get here," said Erik, "And..."

There was another deep sigh.

"Is your brother alright?"

He saw shock on Lorna's face, but it was nothing compared to what he was feeling. He stared at the boy who'd been tied up. He could see other people relaxing: it was just a sibling thing. However, that was exactly what was wrong with it.

"Um, yeah," Lorna mumbled, "We didn't let him come with us to the camp. You can tell my sisters that I didn't let him do anything dumb."

Sisters? Plural?

"Good. I'll talk to you when you get back," said Erik, "A long talk. Stay safe."

"I...I will."

Lorna switched off the comm and stared ahead. He could see something distant in her eyes, and Alex was struck by just how damn much he must have missed.

"Lorna?" he asked.

She glanced at him.

"Yeah?"

He just stared at her helplessly.

"What's going on?"


	17. Chapter 17

April 21, 1968

Wanda's father took off his headset and sighed.

"Besides that little interruption," he said, glaring daggers at the man called Logan, "It appeared that everything went well. They're coming straight home."

His eyes slid over to Wanda. She looked at him, her heart in her throat. It was scary to have him paying attention after so long of being ignored. If Anya had been there it wouldn't have been so bad, but she was busy getting ready to be evacuated.

She hadn't forgotten what he'd said earlier though, hadn't forgotten what it had meant to her. Wanda wanted to tell him, but her tongue felt stuck to the roof of her mouth. Her brother wouldn't have this much trouble talking. Why did she?

"Peter's fine too," her father said, "Lorna didn't let him go into the war zone with her."

Wanda let out a shuddering breath. Good.

"When they get a little closer I'll check in with Cerebro," Charles said, "I'm sure there'll be hell to pay from the CIA. But before that, Logan, I think that we all need to talk."

The strange man nodded.

"We're not in the clear yet, no," he said.

They began to get up. Wanda stepped forward, clearing her throat. Her father looked at her, tired.

"We do need to talk," he said, "But not now Wanda. Soon, but not now."

She looked down and her father sighed.

"I promise."

Wanda looked up, but he was already gone. Logan began to walk past her, and she bit her lip.

"Mr. Logan?" she asked.

He winced, although she didn't know why. There was something else bothering her though, something she needed to get out.

"What you said about my powers, in the future," she said, "That can't...is that true? I mean, I can't really be that strong. "

He fixed his eyes on her.

"Don't sound so surprised," Logan said, "I meant it. I've seen ya bring someone back ta life kid."

Wanda stood, frozen, as Logan left. After a few seconds she slowly walked out of the room. Charles locked up behind her, looking at her oddly. She ignored him and headed to her rom. Once she was inside she locked the door and laid down on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

_I've seen ya bring someone back ta life kid._

He'd meant it. She doubted that Logan had any idea what his words had done to her. They were an earth-shattering declaration. Didn't he know that? She reached up and splayed her fingers out. Red sparks danced around them. One day, she was going to use this to bring someone back to life.

The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. What was a person anyway? They were just interconnected lines of tubes and tissue. All you would have to do was get a heart pumping again, and she had the feeling that she could do that. It was probably really simple. Creating something from nothing, that would be unbelievable. This was...strangely possible.

No, the repair of a human body, getting the lungs gasping, the blood flowing, that was something that she could imagine. Wanda idly traced shapes with her sparks, watching them fade. That was construction work, complicated construction work, but still construction work.

That wasn't what really amazed her. In the future she had brought someone's soul back into their body, rebuilt the part of them that made them them. In the future, she was going to resurrect someone's consciousness, turn them from a lifeless piece of meat into a person-

The sparks around her fingertips abruptly stopped. Wanda sat up, her hair tumbling around her and her eyes wide. Her mind began running faster than her brother after a box of twinkies. She could do that, in the future? Bring back someone's consciousness? Was that like waking them up?

She thought of the woman just a hall down. Her stepmother, doomed forever to exist, but never live. Wanda would be able to save her. If she did, what would her father say when she brought back the love of his life? What would Lorna and Anya say if they knew that she had brought back their mother?

Her mind raced. Perhaps, if everything she'd heard about Susanna was true, things wouldn't be so hard with her. Maybe she wouldn't have to struggle to build a friendship like she had with Lorna. It would be a lot to expect her to accept her automatically, of course, but things could work out. Even better, what if she was interested in being part of her life, mutant or no? What if Wanda would finally have a mother that would be able to look at her?

_What if I can do it now?_

Wanda jumped off her bed. Part of her cautioned her to wait, but if Lorna could be impetuous, then so could she. She opened the door and peeked out. Everyone seemed to be asleep. She crept up to the upper hallways. No one was there: not even sleeping. She supposed that they were talking to Logan. All fears about the end of the world and her siblings were leaving her mind in the face of this new possibility. Her siblings were safe after all, safe and coming home.

She saw Susanna's room and walked up to the door. It was locked, but it was only a matter of a few red sparks to get the door open. Her lessons were coming in handy. Wanda quickly shut it behind her and relocked it. It wouldn't do to have anyone catching her there.

Wanda turned around, suddenly feeling nervous. The was filled with machines that whirred and beeped, a few personal items from a woman who had been a wife and mother. Actually seeing Susanna changed things though, and she felt all of her nervousness go away. She was just lying there, her whole body immobile. She was pretty though, and Wanda saw the origins of several of Lorna and Anya's features.

Still self-conscious, she tugged on the sleeves of her red blouse. Wanda wished that she had thought to change into something more presentable. First impressions and all that. Oh well. It wasn't as though that would matter in the face of waking Susanna up.

She sat down next to her. Wanda smiled, butterflies in her stomach. It wasn't nerves though: she was over that. It was pure joy. She was going to do something for her new family, and everything would be perfect.

Wanda reached out and touched Susanna's wrist. It was an unpleasant, lukewarm temperature, but contact might help. She cleared her throat. She felt silly, but it seemed like she needed to say something.

"It's okay," she whispered, "It's gonna be okay. I'm Wanda, and I'm your stepdaughter. I'll take care of things."

She closed her eyes. At first she could only see a blotchy gray darkness, but then she concentrated. There were details she needed to see. She could see Susanna, then she could see the blood flowing from her heart, air filling her lungs.

Wanda moved up to her mind. Her head started to hurt, but she could see Susanna's mind. It was like someone had taken a fine crystal sculpture and smashed it. There were hundreds and hundreds of little pieces, scattered and shattered. She could fix that.

Slowly, she began to put the pieces back together. They slipped, and some of them were difficult to figure out, but it was just a puzzle. That was all. She smiled to herself, even though the pain in her head was beginning to become unbearable. She'd meant it when she'd told Peter she could take care of things.

Each piece was so fragile. She felt that she could break them if she applied just a little bit of pressure. Wanda wouldn't though. She would treat them as though they were precious and delicate. She grinned to herself as her body began to tremble. Just a little further.

The pieces began to fit together faster now. They were so beautiful. She finished putting the last pieces in place, and then withdrew. Wanda opened her eyes and felt her whole body trembling. She swallowed, feeling dizzy and nauseous. Well, that was to be expected. She had just something difficult, but the important part was that she had finished.

Wanda waited for Susanna to wake up. There was nothing though, not even a twitch. Wanda frowned, her vision blurring a bit. She had put Susanna's mind back together. That should have fixed things. It shouldn't be like this.

Although her entire body screamed against it, she had to go back in. She closed her eyes and went to Susanna's mind. She could see it in its fragility, see the way the cracks kept gleaming where she'd put them together. Maybe that was it. Maybe she had to fix those.

Wanda reached out and touched them. Red sparks danced around the cracks, healing them. Something warm dribbled down her lips. She could see it all come together, all of the crystal becoming one, the cracks healed, but scarred. More warmth began to flow down her lips and onto her chin, and she could feel her body become a little more weightless, but it was all done-

_There was a young girl, crying and sobbing as she held onto a photo. The picture wasn't a good one, but Wanda could see that there were three people in it: the girl, a woman, and a man. Her parents. _

_"Please, please..." Susanna wept. _

_The words slammed themselves into her mind, voiceless but full of emotion. __Wanda saw the world turn, saw a young teen that looked so much like her brother walking through the snow. He was angrier though, his gait steady but fierce. Her father?_

_ A snowball hit him on the side of the head and he turned, spluttering. __Susanna waved towards him and he ran after her. She laughed as he reached her, picking her up and dragging her down into the snow with him._

_ The room changed again and it was a doctor's office. Susanna was staring straight ahead as a doctor sighed and walked out of the room. _

_"Just think about what I said," he said. _

_Susanna held her hands around her stomach, closing her eyes. _

_"I can't lose you too," she whispered. _

_There was a baby now, brilliant green eyes, crying in the middle of the night as Susanna slowly rocked her to sleep. _

_"Would any of my feelings even be welcome?" Wanda's father asked, "I shouldn't have come back-"_

_Susanna tentatively reached up and clasped his wrist. His fingers stilled on her face._

_"You won't know until you tell me," she said._

_He stared at her and the room changed again-_

_"But don't make these decisions without me Erik," she said, "We're both Lorna's parents Erik."_

_"I understand," he said._

_He reached out and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear._

_"We're in this together," Erik said._

_There was another hospital room now. Wanda felt her entire being churning, and the pain was becoming crushing._

_ "The baby-"_

_"Is fine," Erik said, "She's a trooper. Like her mother."_

_He reached out and touched her face. _

_"Don't scare me like that again," he murmured._

_Susanna just laughed._

_"Don't be...like that," she said, "I told you it would be alright."_

_She was staring at her father, holding a bruised and bloody man. His eyes were wild and she could hear crying somewhere far off as SWAT personnel poured into the small yard. Wanda was reeling now, choking, scared-_

_"This time there will be no more secrets. I can't promise that I'll always do the right thing, that I won't kill when I could simply injure, that I'll forget about lines that I shouldn't cross," her father said, "But I'll try. Just…don't leave me."_

_His arms loosened._

_"I won't," Susanna whispered._

_"Kneel," Shaw demanded._

_"No," Susanna said._

_He was surprised. Wanda tried to pull away now, the pain too much._

_"You're being rather disobedient for a willing sacrifice," he said._

_"I don't expect you to understand," Susanna said, "But you said that we had a choice. Well, I've decided to die on my terms."_

_She tilted her chin upwards._

_"I chose this: not you."_

Wanda surfaced, gasping. Her whole world was shaking, but she knew one thing. She staggered to the nearby bathroom, clutching her stomach. Wanda reached the toilet and threw up, her body heaving and trembling.

When she finished she let her forehead rest against the cool porcelain. Everything inside her was quivering. She was scared and exhilarated, feeling as though the entire world was on fire around her. It was worse than anything she had ever felt before.

She closed her eyes, praying that the room would stop spinning. An age passed before she dared to open her eyes. Her hollow face stared back at her from the reflective surface of the porcelain. Blood had gushed from her nose onto her chin, dripping onto her blouse. Bits of vomit were caught in her hair and her breathing was harsh.

Wanda glanced down at her watch. Ten minutes had passed. Only ten minutes. She forced herself to try to get up and flush the toilet. Susanna would be awake. Wanda smiled to herself, a smile which quickly fell into a grimace. She was a mess. So much for first impressions.

Still, she had to start somewhere. She couldn't just leave her unattended. So Wanda used some toilet paper to wipe away the vomit and blood and washed her hands. She put on a smile and walked into the main room, wondering just how to introduce herself.

She stopped. The machines were still beeping. Susanna was still laying still. There were no blips on her heart monitor, nothing to show for any of the pain that Wanda had gone through. She might as well have never come.

Tears sprang to Wanda's eyes. Even though she felt terrible, she hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Wanda half-staggered and half-ran to her room. When she reached it she flung herself on her bed.

It had been stupid to think that she had been powerful enough to do this. Stupid. She had failed, and there would be no hero's welcome waiting for her when she got up in the morning. Wanda buried her face into her pillow and cried with shame and humiliation.


	18. Chapter 18

April 21, 1968

"Tired?"

She looked over her shoulder. Raven had come up behind her when she wasn't paying attention. It was a good thing her brother was the mind reader instead of her.

"I can do it," Lorna said.

"You've been flying since we left Westchester," said Raven, "Despite what you think, I can take it for an hour or two while you get some shut eye."

She jerked her head.

"Besides, I think Peter and Alex are bonding," she said, "You should probably supervise that."

"Are they not getting along?" she asked.

"No. They're getting along great," said Raven, "That's what you want to watch out for. The ones that get along with your brother too well aren't keepers."

Lorna sighed. All she wanted to do was take that nap, see her fiancé, maybe try to see if her brother was still mad at her. However, she had had enough of Raven's sulking. She figured that she'd been pretty tolerant, given that it had started six years ago.

"Raven, you and Hank broke up years ago," she said.

"Who said I was talking about that?"

Lorna gave her a level look.

"So maybe I was," Raven admitted, "It's just..."

She sat down in the co-pilot seat.

"When it happened, he basically told him that I was using him," she said.

"Harsh," said Lorna.

"It's what I thought too," Raven admitted, "But the more I thought about it...I think I might have been. Not consciously maybe, but it was happening."

She rested her chin on her hand.

"And then I thought about all of my other relationships," she said, "It just seems like I might have been using them too. I was with them because I wanted something, not because I actually liked them. When I took that away, I kind of realized I didn't know what a relationship was. And then I see everyone else figuring it out-"

"I don't have this figured out," Lorna said.

"You're engaged," said Raven.

"Engaged to a guy who went into the military before talking about it with me," Lorna said.

Although most of her feelings had been buried in a rush of relief to see that Alex was alright, she could still remember the pain she'd felt when he'd left. She'd only known he was going when he got his call-up papers. He hadn't trusted her. He'd loved her, but not trusted her.

Alex had to do both. She wasn't sure what she'd do if he didn't. Lorna loved him too much to leave now, but she wanted his complete trust. She wasn't going to settle for half a person, not when she deserved a whole.

God, maybe this was what her mother had felt like six years ago.

"Yeah, right."

Lorna snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Raven.

"Thanks for trying," Raven said, "But I think you could tell Alex to make it up to you by licking your shoes clean and he'd do it. You should see the way he looks at you. It's like he'd die for you."

Lorna felt something shudder inside her chest. She'd already seen what it looked like when someone cared enough about her to die for her. There was no way she was going to go through that pain ever again.

"We still need to talk," Lorna said.

"Which is why you should let me take over," said Raven, "Go on: two hours tops. I'll scream if anything goes wrong."

Lorna smiled and got up. Mystique took her seat and Lorna walked towards the back of the plane.

"-so I can totally outrun your dumb bike," Peter said, "Of course, might've just been cause Lorna was riding it, and she's a girl and all-"

"Watch it," Lorna said.

Alex looked up, and she could see something shining in his eyes. How had she not noticed this before? God, maybe Raven was right. No matter. It just meant that Lorna would have to work harder to protect him.

She looked around the jet. The rest of the soldiers were asleep, flopped over chairs and armrests. It meant that they would have some shreds of privacy.

"I'm going to borrow my fiancé for a minute," she said.

"Okay, but no kissy stuff," Peter said, getting up, "Just cause I only found out you're my sister two weeks ago doesn't mean I wanna see ya trading saliva with some guy."

Lorna gave him a filthy look, but he'd run to the other side of the jet before she could say anything. Alex chuckled.

"He's quite a character, isn't he?" he asked.

"You think that's bad, I have to live with him for the rest of my life," Lorna said.

"Well, I do too," said Alex.

She nodded and looked down. Alex hesitated and took her hand.

"I think I need to say something," he said, "About why we're here."

"Yes," Lorna said, "You do."

He cleared his throat.

"I um, I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about all this sooner," he said.

That was a terrible apology.

"You should be," said Lorna.

"I'm sorry now," Alex said, "I can't regret my reasons for going, they were good ones, but I've had a lot of time to think about this. You're right: I didn't treat you as though you had an equal stake in my life. I should have discussed my decision with you, and I should have listened to your opinion before enlisting."

He turned her hand over in his. She sighed and leaned her head back.

"If that's how you feel, then why did you do it?" she asked. "Why...after everything I'd told you, after I agreed to marry you, why didn't you just tell me about it?"

He made a face.

"It was selfish," admitted Alex, "I knew you'd disapprove and I...I wanted to be like my dad, and I thought it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission."

A snort of laughter escaped him.

"Evidently not though," he said.

"I couldn't have stopped you from going," Lorna said.

"You could've though," said Alex, "If you'd asked me to stay before I signed the papers, I wouldn't have been able to go. Even after I had, I kept thinking that maybe I'd made a mistake."

"You had," Lorna said.

"Not for the reasons that I'd thought."

He squeezed her hand tighter. She squeezed it back. Lorna hesitated before speaking though.

"Lorna?"

She closed her eyes. She wanted him to understand what she had felt when he left, what she had feared, and the only way to do so was to tell him what she had never told another soul. Her grip on his hand tightened.

"Alex I...when we fought Shaw on Cuba, Emma told me that there was nothing left to my mother's mind," Lorna said, "That she was gone forever."

Alex's eyes widened.

"I almost told my father afterwards," she said, "But...I couldn't. I couldn't take hope away from him, and Anya, and I couldn't kill the part of him that's still waiting for her. I think my dad lost something of himself when he lost her, but he doesn't know she's gone yet so he won't...won't..."

She furiously blinked back tears.

"What I'm trying to say is that you're part of me now," she said, "And if I lose you, then I lose that part too. It dies and I...I don't want to lose it. Do you understand?"

Alex looked down.

"More than you know," said Alex, "Sometimes I feel like the best parts of me are all caught up in you, and if we weren't together, they'd diminish."

He brought her hand up and kissed it, his lips lingering on her skin.

"We support each other's better natures," he said, "I'm a better person for meeting you, a stronger person. Maybe I flatter myself by saying you are too, but what I'm trying to say is that I know."

Alex turned to look at her.

"I do understand, and I am sorry. I know that it sounds lame, but I mean it. What I did wasn't fair," he said, "But I can swear to you that I won't do it again, not now, and not when we're married. I won't leave you."

Lorna bit her lip.

"It should be much easier to be angry at you than it is," she said.

"I did nearly get experimented on by Asshole Jr," Alex said helpfully, "That might help."

Lorna laughed. He reached out and stroked her face.

"Are we good?" he asked.

Lorna just grinned.

"Yeah," she said, "Just don't get captured by any more racist assholes."

"I'll try."

He cleared his throat.

"And um, I was wondering," he said, "About us getting married."

"What about it?" Lorna said.

She gave him a cold look.

"Don't you dare have second thoughts after all that shit you said," she said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he said.

He licked his lips.

"Do you want to, I dunno, get married sooner?" he asked.

She froze. Was he serious? When she turned to him she could only see a desperate sincerity in his face.

"I know we said three years a year ago," he said, "But being out here, seeing all this shit just made me think."

The hand on her face slid down and rested on her collarbone.

"Sometimes life gets cut short," he said, his voice slow and ponderous, "I know it sounds dumb to be figuring this out after all that time with the X-men, but life is kinda fragile. We're not built well."

He gestured to himself.

"We don't keep forever," he said, "Things get taken from us. And I don't want to put off the best things in my life any longer."

Lorna breathed in. When Alex had proposed she'd been scared, worried that no matter how much she loved Alex, she was too young for marriage. He'd assured her that it wouldn't be immediately, a deadline that her father had approved of. She'd thought that she'd be ready then.

But then he'd gone away for a year. It was then that she had realized the role he played in her life, that he was part of her soul now. She reached up and put her hand over his, and she saw a smile spread over his face.

"I'd like that," she said softly, "Very much."

Alex leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers. It was warm and sweet and-

"Hey! I said no saliva exchange!"

Lorna pulled away. Two of the soldiers had woken up briefly before falling back asleep. Lorna glared over at Peter, who waved cheerfully at her. She gave him the finger and then twined her hand with Alex's.

"My brother's an asshole," she muttered.

"Yep," Alex said.

"I'm fine. You two are just gross," said Peter.

Lorna rolled her eyes before moving a little closer to Alex. She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. His head touched hers and she sighed. No matter what was waiting for them when they got home, for this moment in time, everything was perfect.

* * *

Trask looked at the data in front of him. It appeared that they had lost their most promising batch of mutants. It was a setback. The one they had right now wasn't going to last long. He'd tried just about everything he could think of to make its life last longer, but currently it was on its last few weeks. Funny how resilient they could be.

He looked down at the new Sentinel prototype. He'd looked forward to testing it out on some of the mutants, make sure that it would be able to detect them. He'd hoped that everything would work out, that he wouldn't be presenting half-finished work to the generals at the summit.

However, he knew that there was another way to test it. Stryker had told him of a group of mutants that his father had come across during his career. Apparently the CIA was keeping them safely tucked away, having them do a few chores for them.

It was a dangerous precedent, giving them special privileges like that. He shrugged. Some people would just never understand, even when the answer was staring them right in the face. They didn't have the courage to do what needed to be done.

No matter. If what Stryker had said was true, then this was the largest concentration of mutants in the United States. A group of people that big would give off a massive biological signal. It would be too much for his handheld device, but he'd been designing something bigger that would track groups rather than individuals. It was the reason why the Sentinels would be so effective.

He walked over to a small switch in the corner and flipped it. The Sentinel's eyes lit up, and Trask smiled to himself. It might take a while for it to lock onto a target, but when it did, it wouldn't let go until it had been eradicated.

One way or another, he was going to test his newest project.


	19. Chapter 19

April 21, 1968

Susanna woke up, gasping. She felt as though there were a tremendous pressure on her chest, and her head felt like it was full of shards of glass. Her entire body was like a shattered vase that had just been glued together, fragile and trembling. She rolled over on her side, clutching her arms to her.

Cords tangled around her when she did so. Susanna felt a flicker of panic. She had to keep fighting it, whatever it was. She took deep breaths and closed her eyes. The darkness was stifling, as was the confusion that kept pressing down on her.

Shaw had killed her. Or, at least, he had been about to. Susanna had known that. She'd been prepared for that. She'd felt the pain, seen her life in front of her eyes, and then she'd woken up. What had happened? How was she alive?

The pain subsided, but she stayed on her side, her hands clasped in front of her chest. She continued to breathe in, finally daring to open her eyes. When she did her vision came into focus, showing her into a richly furnished room. It was grander than anything Susanna had ever seen in her entire life. Where was she?

It was just question on top of question. She took another breath. There were other questions that she wanted to ask. Her whole mind was full of them. They quickly dwindled down to two. Where was her husband? Where were her children?

She had to go find them. Shaw had been so close to her daughters: she had to make sure that he had kept up his side of the bargain. Her whole body felt weak though, and she began shivering. Had it always been this cold? Had it always been this difficult to move? Her trembling fingers pulled out the IVs stuck in her arms.

Susanna picked up the blanket and wound it around her shoulders. With a deep breath she forced herself onto her feet and nearly fell. Her fingers gripped the mattress, saving her from hitting the floor. She stumbled a few feet more before resting her hand on the door, trying to get her strength up. Everything was still weak. She rested her forehead on the wood of the door, gritting her teeth in concentration. Her legs still trembling, she pushed the door open.

The hall was empty and cold. She took another few steps down it. Her feet felt like they were made of immobile blocks of ice. Her whole body was stiff. Her eyes blurred as she moved around an unfamiliar hall. Where was she?

Voices caught her attention. She walked down another hall and saw an open door. Light from the room spilled out into the hall and she moved towards it. It was the only sign that someone else was alive in the entire world, and she managed to step inside it.

Charles was seated at one end of the room, talking to a man with sideburns that she'd never seen before. Someone was seated with their back towards her, and she instantly recognized it as Erik. His shoulders were slumped more than she would have expected, and he seemed tired. It was him though.

Charles looked up when she came in. His mouth dropped open and his lips moved wordlessly. Susanna swallowed and took another faltering step into the room. The man with sideburns raised his eyebrows, giving her a concerned and surprised look.

"What is it?" Erik asked.

Charles still didn't say anything. Susanna felt like something was dreadfully, dreadfully wrong. Her legs were still trembling, and it was getting worse. She had to say something, ask for help, but her tongue felt like it was stuck to the roof of her mouth. Susanna saw Erik's shoulders tighten with irritation.

"What is it?" he repeated.

Susanna opened her mouth, her tongue feeling slightly usable once again. Her entire body was having trouble staying standing though.

"Erik," she whispered.

He tensed. Susanna swallowed. Her mouth felt dry, and it was so cold. Why wouldn't he look at her? Why wouldn't he turn? She wanted to cry out to him, to tell him to please turn, she needed to see him, but she couldn't. Her last strength had gone with the whisper. Her body needed it to stay standing.

Slowly, he turned. Desperation and hopeless longing spread through his features. Susanna clutched her blanket closer to her and gave her husband a small smile. He got up as her trembling increased. She needed to sit down soon.

He continued to stare at her like he'd never seen her before. There was a desperate desire there, one that made her want to cry. What had happened while she'd been sleeping? She swallowed again, becoming dizzy. Susanna began to falter, and she reached out to him.

In a moment his arms were around her. She sank to the ground, but he sank with her, cradling her safely in his arms. His hands began to skim her face in wonder, his fingertips moving down her forearms before resting on her heart.

His eyes widened in wonder.

"You're real," he said.

Susanna reached up, one of her hands touching his cheek. Her fingers felt too exhausted for anything more than a brush, but Erik still closed his eyes and exhaled. There was a little more strength now that she wasn't standing.

"Erik," she repeated.

She swallowed, her eyes roving the room.

"Where are...where are the girls?" she managed, "Did Shaw...what...?"

Erik furrowed his brow, and then she saw something break deep inside of him.

"Shaw's gone Susanna," he said, "The government took care of that."

So it hadn't been Erik. She could have jumped for relief, but very few of her limbs were obeying her. Charles knelt next to her.

"Erik, we have to call Hank," he said, "We don't know how she is medically. What's her pulse-?"

He reached for her wrist. Erik pulled her closer, one of his hands holding her protectively.

"Don't touch her," he hissed.

"I'm not trying to hurt her," Charles said.

Susanna reached out and curled her fingers around Erik's wrist. He gave a shuddering sigh and held her closer. She was feeling dizzy, and trying to understand what was going on was making things much, much worse.

"Erik, she needs a doctor," Charles said.

Erik's eyes flickered open. Susanna swallowed. Charles was right. She needed a doctor, and she needed to make sure that Erik knew that.

"Please Erik," she said.

His eyes moved down to hers. The look in them was dark and desperate, that of a drowning man finally sipping air.

"Get Hank Charles," he said.

Charles nodded. The room began to blur slightly, but then Erik's hands began to thread through her hair. It was soothing and grounding. His hands were so warm. She tilted her head up, focusing on his face.

He looked so tired. She could see lines creeping in around his face. He seemed older too. The thought gave birth to a spark of panic. How long had she been gone? How long had she been lying in that cold room?

"I came as soon as I heard!"

She tilted her head. A young man with glasses ran in. Hank. Yes, he was one of Lorna's friends. One of her only friends. He gave her a shocked look, but quickly knelt next to her and took a few instruments out from his bag.

Susanna felt his hands take her pulse, something press against her heart. Bandages were applied to the backs of her hands where the IVs had been. Other things were happening too, and she felt so lost in it all. What was going on?

"-I can't explain it, but I think she's fine," Hank said, "Mrs. Lensherr, how do you feel?"

She swallowed. Words seemed difficult now.

"Weak," she managed, "Cold."

"I figured the first, but the second is a little unusual," said Hank, "Best keep her bundled up and warm. She shouldn't be left alone-"

"I can take care of that," Erik said.

Susanna moved her head so it was better supported by her husband's arm. Erik gave her another tender look before getting to his feet, bringing Susanna with him. She breathed in sharply, and Erik placed a gentle kiss on her forehead even as his grip tightened.

"Don't worry," he murmured, "I've got you."

"I should um, check on her in the morning," Hank said.

"I'll get you," Erik said.

"And when we reestablish contact with-"

"Of course," said Erik, "First thing, tell me."

"Erik," Charles said.

Erik turned to him, and Charles just smiled. Erik gave a returning expression, but Susanna's eyes fell on the man with the sideburns. He was giving her a confused, but oddly worried, look. She would have to ask who he was soon.

For now she could only feel exhaustion. It had killed her to get from one end of the hall to the other. This time when she walked them her husband was carrying her, murmuring words of love and assurance in her ear.

She smiled, but something was still worrying her.

"The girls?" she asked, "Where are they?"

"Out," Erik murmured, "They'll be back soon."

"How...how soon?"

"You should be able to see them tomorrow," Erik said, 'I'll tell you about it in the morning."

A door opened and she was greeted with a dark room. Her eyes began to slip shut, but a light jolted her awake. Erik laid her down on the bed and gently put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. He was blurring again.

"I'm going to have to take the blanket away for a few moments," he said.

She shivered and pulled it closer.

"Trust me?" he asked.

Her heart chided her instincts. This was Erik. He wouldn't cause her any discomfort if he could avoid it. She smiled softly and loosened her grip on the blanket.

"Of course," she said.

Erik nodded and took the blanket off her shoulders. She shivered, and then she felt him tuck blankets around her. They were cool and felt like thin sheets of ice laid on her skin. She shivered again as he put the blanket on top of her.

Seconds later the bed creaked. Strong arms wound around her and pulled her to his chest. It was like she had been enveloped by a furnace, and it felt good. Susanna sighed and snuggled in closer. His fingers began threading through her hair again, and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I will be soon," she said.

He chuckled slightly, but it turned into a sigh.

"Oh my love," he said, "I've missed you. I've missed you so damn much."

Exhaustion crept into her. Erik lowered his face and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. It felt like something being pressed into damp clay, something that leaves an impression. Every single touch seemed heightened now.

"Erik, how long was I gone?" Susanna whispered.

He hesitated. One of his hands reached out and caressed her face.

"Too long," he said, "One heartbeat is too long. I'd started to think...part of me had..."

He trailed off and then shook his head.

"But I'd never stop hoping," he whispered, "Not as long as either of us still drew breath. I wanted you here, in my arms, so badly."

His lips caught hers again, this time for a deeper kiss. She felt warmth flooding from him to her, but her questions remained.

"But how long?" she whispered.

He sighed.

"Six years."

Tears gathered in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks even as her world began to turn black from exhaustion. Susanna didn't know who she was crying for: herself for missing those years, years where her children had grown, where Erik had overcome his hatred for Shaw, six years of memories, or for her family hoping so much.

"Shhh," he said.

He tilted his head and began kissing her tear trails.

"You're home now," Erik said, "So don't cry my love. You're here."

His lips fell to hers again. It was the last thing that she felt before she fell asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

April 21, 1968

Wanda finished packing her bags. She still felt ill from the night before, almost dizzy. Was this what it would feel like to use her powers full force? She wasn't sure she wanted to do it again. It hadn't even worked, and she still felt stupid.

Sighing she slung her duffel bag over her shoulder. The rest of the kids were chattering in the hallway, talking excitedly about the chance to go camping. Right. Camping. They weren't going to evacuate because someone from the future had come and told them that they were going to be attacked.

Everyone grouped together with their friends. Wanda walked alone. Her brother and sisters were gone. She wished she could have gone with Anya the night before. If she'd asked she was sure that her father would have let her. It would have saved her the nauseous feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she'd have been with Anya. Anya had a tendency to find anything good in a situation. Peter called Anya a baby doll, and maybe she was. Now that she'd seen her mother, those looks and glow kind of made sense.

She walked down the hallway. They were near the staff rooms: it was one of the quicker ways through the mansion. As she moved, her mind switched from daughter to father. His words echoed in her mind. Now that she thought about it, he hadn't really been cruel to them. He'd just ignored them. Perhaps his biggest crime had been leaving them alone when she'd wanted him to be more.

He loved her though. It was a stilted, constrained love, but it was deep, and it was there. He wanted to keep her safe. He'd been being honest when he said that, and it had made her want to make things good for them. It had made her want to wake up Susanna, her stepmother, her sisters' mother, her father's wife.

Because there was love there. It was more than her mother had ever done for her. The only person who'd ever loved her before she stepped foot onto Westchester had been her brother. Then she'd met her sisters, and they had loved her. She'd never had a parent love her though. Not until her father.

How was she supposed to deal with that? It was all new to her, and it was far too difficult to take in. She felt guilt for thinking that he couldn't feel that, but also angry at herself because she'd had no way of knowing.

"Is someone here called Wanda? Peter?"

She turned. A kid was half-hanging out of the lounge.

"Telephone call for someone called Wanda!" he yelled, "Or Peter! Someone's on the staff phone, and I don't know where the professor is!"

Wanda sighed and walked over. She could only think of one person who would call her.

"It's my mom, isn't it?" she asked glumly.

The boy nodded, giving her a sympathetic look. She knew he didn't know her, Wanda didn't even know his name, but she wondered if this was a common reaction to hearing a parent was calling at this school. It served to make her more conscious of her father caring, even though it wasn't much.

"I can tell her I couldn't find you," he said.

"No, it's fine," Wanda said.

"Sure?"

"Yes," Wanda said.

She walked into the lounge and closed the door. She wasn't sure at all, but she couldn't bring herself to ignore it. It was her mother who was the bad guy. She wasn't going to stoop to her tactics and ignore calls. Wanda was better than that.

She sat down and picked up the phone.

"Hi mom," she said, "What's up?"

"Just wanted to see how you were getting on."

Her mother's voice was stiff and formal. Wanda sighed and leaned back.

"More like you wanted to check to see if we're dead," she said, "We're not. Big surprise."

"You say that like it's so unlikely," her mother said, "You're in a building full of other freaks now. Anything could happen."

The first prickles of pain began in her heart. She clenched the phone tightly. This had been a mistake.

"I can't imagine your 'father' being very helpful either."

Her knuckles turned white.

"He loves me more than you do," Wanda snapped, "I know that's setting the bar really low, but he actually cares. That's something."

"He doesn't care about anything," her mother sighed, her voice vaguely scolding, "Not really. I would have thought that you'd have figured that out by now."

"He cares. And my sisters do too," Wanda said, tears stinging her eyes, "You just don't understand. It's not like you ever loved anything."

There was a tense silence.

"I loved you, once," her mother said.

The prickles in her heart turned into a thick, stabbing pain. God, this hurt.

"I think you think you did. Before you found out I was different," Wanda said, "But I don't think that's love. Not if it goes away that easily."

"Don't you dare-"

"I'm through with this mom," said Wanda, "I'm through with it."

She hung up the phone and bowed her head. The sobs started suddenly and with very little warning. Wanda clutched at her face with her hands, hiccupping out whatever love or loyalty she had still held for her mother.

Had it always been this way? She thought back to her early childhood days, to the days spent defending her brother, herself, to her current life. Was she only seventeen? The tears she sobbed out now seemed to have been held back for more than that, building and growing in number and strength.

The door opened, but Wanda didn't look up.

"Go away," she managed.

The door didn't close. Instead she felt someone sit beside her.

"What's wrong?"

The voice was soft and gentle, but Wanda didn't know it. She buried her face deeper into her hands.

"I don't wanna talk about it," she said.

"I don't think that's true," the voice said, "My daughter always says that, but I can tell when she really means it and when she just wants someone to listen to her, but she's too scared to say so."

Damn whoever this was. The voice was soothing and sincere: a stranger who cared more than her mother if something was wrong with her. Wanda let out a harsh breath.

"I just realized that my mother doesn't love me and never did," she said, "Not really, and especially not when she found out what I could do. I've always known but...I was too dumb."

A tentative arm wrapped around her shoulders. Wanda stiffened at the contact, but she couldn't bring herself to shove her away. Her nausea from the previous night was kicking in now, and she couldn't find the strength to push her away.

"No," the voice said, "You just loved her. There's no shame in that."

"In loving someone who hates you?" Wanda said, "In not being able to tell real love from fake?"

"You can tell, otherwise you wouldn't be crying," the voice said, "Mothers and daughters, it's complicated. You wanted her to love you because you find it easy to love people. You just wanted it returned so badly from someone who was supposed to love you unconditionally."

Wanda gave a hiccupping sob.

"But other people love you," she said, "A girl as tenderhearted as you, someone must. So, who loves you?"

She snorted, but the woman's words gave her pause.

"My brother," she said, "And my sisters. My father too. He's not good at this...but he's trying."

"Then focus on them," the voice said, "That's what's important. They love you just as you are. You can be loved: they've proved it. That's something, right?"

Wanda smiled. She wondered at the voice's ability to make her feel better, to say something that she needed to hear. It was like they were really listening. It reminded her a bit of when Anya had found her, crouched under the tree after her brother and her had argued.

Wait, like Anya? Her eyes flew open and she jerked back. A soft, familiar face stared back at her, a little shocked. Wanda gaped.

"Is something wrong?" Susanna asked.

* * *

"How long until we get home?" Alex said, "I wanna see if Hank stopped looking so geeky."

"He's still wearing his glasses," said Lorna.

"Ugh."

"It looks like we'll be there in an hour," Raven said.

"Good," Lorna said, "I'm getting tired of flying."

She cracked her neck. Alex moved forwards so that his fingers brushed her neck. She gave him a side grin.

"I don't see why we can't just stop by here," Raven said, fingering the small card that Stryker had given her, "I don't think it's a big outfit, and we could probably just make a quick stop and get some reconnaissance."

"Raven, I just flew a jet into Vietnam and stole soldiers from the government," Lorna said, "I think I'm done being rebellious for this year."

"More like this month," Alex said.

He moved his hand to her shoulder affectionately when she snorted. The air moved next to him and Peter leaned over the control panel.

"Me, that would be for the week," he said, "You didn't even let me outta the plane."

He glanced at Lorna's new brother. She'd told him the entire story when she'd been back with him, although Peter had already blabbed most of it. That was a snort turnaround for kids, and it probably made things difficult. He couldn't imagine the pain and confusion Lorna had been through when she'd found out.

Her father was her hero, and she'd always loved her family fiercely, believing it was perfect. It was far from prefect, Alex could see that, but at least it had been loving. Alex had spent enough time in the foster system to know that that wasn't always the case.

She'd whispered her feelings the night before and he'd wrapped his arm around, her willing for things to get better. Life was difficult enough for her without all of this going wrong, and he'd felt a new level of guilt at not being there for her.

It was a mistake he wasn't going to repeat. Especially not with their upcoming wedding.

"It was Vietnam," Lorna said.

"I'm actually shocked that he's more upset about you not letting him out than about how you accomplished it," Alex said.

"It was well-played," Peter said, "Dickish, but well-played. I'll just be wary of the next time she tries to hug me or anything."

"If I had to be wary every time I hugged Lorna then-" Alex began.

"What did I say about trading saliva?" Peter asked.

"Stop calling it that," Lorna snapped.

"That's what it is," he said.

Alex heard a few scattered chuckles from the back and winced. They had an audience now.

"Don't worry Lorna," Raven said, "Guys only say stuff like that when they've never been kissed."

There was a chorus of catcalls from the back.

"I've been kissed!" Peter said.

"By someone other than a relative?" asked Raven.

Peter spluttered and the laughter increased. A sudden jolt threw Alex off his feet, sending him crashing into the wall. Raven jerked in her seat and Alex saw Peter hit the wall as well. A few of the soldiers who hadn't been buckled in bucked forwards.

"What's going on?" Raven shouted.

"Something hit us!" Lorna yelled back.

Alex struggled to right himself, pushing down lingering feelings of panic.

"_Take your brother's hand. Keep close to each other. You should land in around the same place. Take care of each other."_

Not again. He gritted his teeth and grabbed Peter's arm. He dragged him to a seat and began shoving the buckles in place.

"Everyone, get strapped in!" he yelled, "We're in for some turbulence!"

Peter looked dazed and confused. Alex had to get him buckled in before something else happened. The others were reacting well: they'd been in battle before. Peter was too damn lost at the moment. This wasn't his world, even if he'd done half the robberies he bragged about.

When he was done Alex looked over at the rest. Todd and everyone was buckled up. Good. He slammed down into his seat and did up his first buckle just as they bucked forward again. The loose harness jostled him and he nearly clipped his head.

It made him redouble his efforts to buckle up.

"What the hell is going on?" Lorna said.

"It's not showing up on the radar!" said Raven, "The spare engine's down, but..."

Her voice lowered. Alex looked up and saw a robotic face outside the windshield of the jet. Purple eyes glowered at him, and his hands fell limp by his side.

"What in God's name-?" Lorna said.

There was another explosion and the plane began spiraling down.

"Engine two is down!" Raven yelled.

"Brace yourselves!" Lorna shouted.

Alex grabbed his harness and held on. It might not be his first plane crash, but that didn't mean it would be smooth sailing.


	21. Chapter 21

April 21, 1968

"Is something wrong?" Susanna repeated.

The girl was looking at her like she was a ghost. Perhaps she was: the ghost of Westchester. When she'd woken up Erik had told her that that's where she was. He'd whispered gentle explanations to her, a quick version of what had happened. He'd promised to tell her every detail when things were settled, but they would be evacuating the school soon because of an outside threat.

She'd been on edge because of that statement, but he'd kept telling her that they had it under control. He'd carried her to the lounge, even though Susanna knew she could walk now. Her legs felt a little weak, and she was very cold, but she was getting better gradually. He'd dug out her winter clothes when she got dressed, all of her things had been safely stored.

The amount of care he'd taken, the preparations for her to wake up even though she'd been gone for six years, it made her weep. Erik had held her, told of their daughters' strength and determination. She'd never heard his voice crack quite like that.

When everything was ready Erik had told her to wait next door while he gathered the rest of her things. She'd been fine and patient until she'd heard a raised voice. Susanna had tentatively left the lounge and looked next door.

She'd seen a young girl, not much older than Lorna when she'd last seen her, sobbing and rocking back and forth. So she'd done what came naturally to her: gone to help. In a world of people who could bend metal and read minds, this was one thing she could do.

It had gone so well until the girl had seen her.

"I didn't mean to startle you," said Susanna.

The girl swallowed.

"I...you're Susanna, right?" she asked.

"Yes," Susanna said, "I'm surprised you know who I am though."

The girl licked her lips. The fear was leeching from her face and turning into amazement.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I don't," Susanna said, "I haven't been..."

She looked down briefly.

"I've only really been here since late last night," she said.

The girl's eyes widened even more. Her mouth twisted into a smile, her tearstained lips and cheeks turning towards cheer.

"Oh," she said, "I um...I see. That's, nice. I mean, I know who you are, and it's good that you, yeah."

Susanna smiled as the girl stumbled over her words..

"Thank you," she said, "But, well, what is your name? You seem to know so much about me."

Some of the fear came back, but the girl didn't move away.

"My name's Wanda," she said.

"Wanda," Susanna repeated, "Pleased to meet you."

She put out her hand. Wanda stared at it for a moment before shaking it.

"Are you a mutant too?" Susanna asked.

"Um, yeah," said Wanda, "I uh, I can change things sometimes. Just things around. Alter reality a bit."

Susanna blinked. She really did feel out of place in her husband and daughter's world sometimes.

"And you mentioned siblings?"

The girl looked a little more scared.

"I have an older sister, a twin brother, and a little sister," she said.

"Are they all here?"

"Some of them are out," Wanda said, licking her lips, "My brother and older sister. They're mutants too. But um, my little sister isn't. Not sure why."

Susanna nodded. At least this she understood.

"Well, I have two daughters," she said, "One of them is a mutant like her father and the other isn't. Well, we don't know for sure, but we don't think she is. I'm not sure I understand that either."

Wanda licked her lips. She looked almost as though she were about to burst at every one of Susanna's words. Something she was doing was making the girl uncomfortable, and she wished she knew what it was. Wanda had already had a trying enough time with her mother: she didn't need some strange woman scaring her.

She had to figure out what was making her act this way, but she didn't have anything to go on. The only thing she knew was that she couldn't just leave her like this.

"But I think that Lorna, that's my daughter, she has a friend that-" Susanna said.

"Susanna."

She turned around. Her husband was standing in the doorway, looking at her with wide and helpless eyes. Wanda scrambled to her feet.

"We were just talking," she said, sounding defensive.

"I'm surprised you know who she is," Erik said.

His voice was quiet, and a little lost. Susanna looked from him to Wanda. She felt as though there was something that was going over her head.

"I um, Lorna, and Anya," Wanda spluttered.

"You know my daughters?" asked Susanna.

Erik looked at her, and the lost look was becoming resigned. He walked over to her and took her hands in his.

"Susanna, I need to talk to Wanda for a moment," he said, "And then I'll be right back."

Susanna nodded, feeling out of place. Erik gestured over to Wanda. She walked outside of the room and Susanna felt her heart begin to beat a little faster. What was going on? She had a feeling that she wouldn't like the answer.

* * *

Erik walked out of the room, scratching the back of his neck. He motioned for Wanda to come over to the other end of the hallway with him and to shut the door. She did so, her eyes downcast.

The minute she reached him, Wanda began speaking.

"Please, I didn't know she didn't know," she said, "I was just, my mom called and I started crying and she-"

"Wanda," Erik said, putting up a hand, "I understand."

She fell silent and Erik sighed. God, this was his fault. This whole mess was his fault, and not just because he'd had a foolish liaison with a liar nearly eighteen years ago. If he'd been more open and honest with his new children, more welcoming, then Wanda wouldn't be so frightened now.

He'd still have difficulty explaining it to his wife, but Wanda wouldn't be looking at him like this. He should have said something this morning really, but Susanna had just come back to him after all these years. He'd been too absorbed in her presence, in the soft sound of her voice, the feel of her skin.

However, it was time to deal with the harsher aspects of her return.

"She's very easy to talk to," he said, "I don't blame you for what's happened. Any of it. If anything I'm glad you got to meet Susanna sooner rather than later. Who knows when you would've been able to meet her considering all of..."

He shook his head, trying to find a word that described the man from the future, Lorna, Raven, and Peter going off to save Alex, and the impending doom of their race.

"All of this," he said, unsure of how else to finish.

Wanda blinked at him, still looking as though she was about to cry. What was wrong with him?

"Wanda, I know that I haven't been a good father to you and Peter," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "I felt as though I'd failed you, and in a way I did. But I can't fix that, no matter how much I wish I could."

He smiled.

"Of course, I can make things better from here on out," said Erik, "And I will. When all of this is sorted, we're going to be a family. All of us."

The tears in Wanda's eyes welled even more. What had he said now? There was a reason why he had leaned on Susanna so much for this in the past. She knew what he was doing. He didn't.

"If you still want to, of course," he said.

Wanda moved forward and gripped him in a tight hug. Her tears were flowing freely. For a moment he stared at the air in front of him, and then he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her shoulders. She was his daughter, every bit as much as Lorna and Anya. He had to acknowledge that, had to make good on an unspoken, unknown promise made by blood.

She was his, and he was going to take care of her.

"I want to," Wanda whispered, "I really want to."

"Thank you," said Erik.

He held her for a little while more, and then let go. He jerked his head towards the door.

"I need to speak to my wife about this," he said.

Wanda looked at the floor.

"I kind of wish you wouldn't," she said, "I mean, she likes me right now."

Erik laughed quietly.

"You don't know Susanna if you think that something I did will prejudice her against you," he said, "I married a woman that was much too good for me. She may need a little time, of course, but she won't hate you."

Wanda put her hands in front of her mouth.

"No one's given me that kind of-" she said.

"Then it's about time they did," Erik said.

Wanda looked up at him and smiled. He forced a smile back. He didn't know what the next few minutes held for him, but at least things with Wanda were settled.

"Now," he said, "you need to go out. They're going to be doing roll call in a few minutes."

She nodded.

"Bye...dad," she said.

He smiled. For some reason it sounded good to hear her call him that. Maybe he hadn't failed too badly.

"Goodbye," he said, "I'll see you in a bit."

Wanda turned and hurried down the hall. He watched her until she disappeared from sight. Erik sighed and walked to the door. He paused there, caught between not wanting to tell his wife about the children who bore his blood but not his name and fulfilling a promise he'd made long ago.

In the end, he opened the door.

* * *

Susanna stared at Erik. He had children. Children that weren't her children.

"I...I don't..." she said.

"It was almost eighteen years ago," Erik said quietly, "I was looking for information about Shaw and that's when I met their mother."

She struggled to speak, to tell him her mind. It was so difficult.

"You never mentioned her," she managed.

Erik closed his eyes.

"I didn't mention her because it didn't mean anything," he said, "I was foolish. For a week. That was all it took."

She looked down, and then at the ceiling. Something deep inside her was crying out, but she couldn't find the strength to voice it.

"I swear to God I didn't know there had been any children."

There was a deep pause.

"I never meant to hurt you," he said, "Please, speak to me."

Pain seemed to be branching out everywhere, her eyes stinging, but she found her voice.

"No wife likes to find out that her husband had children with another woman," she said, "But-"

"Please, it's not their fault," Erik said.

"I know it's not their fault," said Susanna.

Her voice came out snappish, matching the brittle cold she felt within her.

"Erik, when you came back, you told me you'd left because you couldn't stand seeing me caught up in all of that," she said, the words gushing out, "And now I find out that not even five years passed before you-"

He moved quickly, catching her face in his hands. Susanna looked away, unable to look her husband in the eye or stop her tears.

"When you'd come back," she said, "I was just getting ready to try to move on from that. It had meant so much to me, and to find out that it didn't mean that to you-"

"No! It wasn't love," he said, "Not like what we'd had. It was...it meant nothing. It was a foolish thing and I..."

She opened her eyes and saw her own pain reflected in his.

"I didn't think Susanna," he said, "I had buried you so deeply along with every good thing that had ever happened to me and..."

He gritted his teeth.

"And being near her reminded me that you weren't there," Erik said, "It was why I rushed through everything. And then I found out she was married and I, well."

He gave a helpless shrug, one of his hands wiping away her tears with his thumbs.

"It made me remember you, and I hated her for that," he said, "Because I thought I couldn't have you, and wanting to go back was a pain I didn't want to feel. And then I found you again and I...I remembered everything. And I couldn't let it go again."

She closed her eyes. There was still pain there, but she couldn't fault his answers.

"Please, forgive me."

Susanna took a deep breath, exhaling her pain along with it. She couldn't hold onto this pain, not with her husband's eyes screaming his devotion.

"I forgive you," she whispered.

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her to him. Susanna rested her head on his chest, letting him stroke her hair. As much as he said he couldn't let go of her, she knew that the same was true of her. She could never seem to let go of him. Not when she understood him so well.

"Tell me about them," she murmured.

He stopped stroking her hair for a moment.

"I...I didn't...when I found out," he said, "About them, I didn't do my best. But they're my children Susanna."

"They'll forgive you," Susanna said, "Just give them time."

"Wanda already has. She's so eager to be a part of...she's eager to meet everyone," he said, "Peter is difficult to deal with, but he's, well, I suppose he's no different than I was at that age. Just less angry."

Susanna managed to smile. She looked up at Erik and he smiled back, before suddenly going rigid.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Charles is calling me," he said, "He said that he's getting a message from the Blackbird- that's our plane. He says it's still fuzzy, but it seems urgent."

He gave her a worried look before glancing at the door.

"I can get downstairs myself," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked, "I-"

Susanna kissed him on the cheek.

"I can make it," she said.

Erik leaned in and kissed her gently before getting up.

"I'll see you before you go," he said.

"I know," Susanna said.

He smiled and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Susanna waited until she heard his footsteps die before she took another shuddering breath. Then she burst into tears, trying to keep as quiet as possible.

No matter how irrational the pain was, it was still there. And she had to get as much of it out as possible before she saw the rest of her family. It was just something else in life she had to let go of if she was to move on.


	22. Chapter 22

April 21, 1968

The controls weren't responding. Lorna kept jerking them, but she could feel the spiral pulling them even further down. The comm system was still up, she could hear Raven trying to hail Westchester. It wasn't like there was anything else she could do.

Lorna leaned back and ripped off her gloves. It was difficult to do when the world was plummeting and twirling, but she could still do it. She spread her hands over the dashboard, feeling the coolness of the metal.

After the fight at Cuba, she had told Charles about how it had helped to be able to feel the metal that she was manipulating. They had done a few experiments together, and it appeared that there was a tactile nature to her gift that she hadn't unlocked until then.

Now, with the Blackbird plummeting to the ground, containing her friend, her brother, her fiancé, and countless others, she was going to have to take it to the next level. The plane was made of metal, but there were other forces at work, pulling it down. She bit her lip and let her nails scrape against the board.

A green film dropped over her eyes. It felt like she was caught in a tug of war: her powers verses the force of gravity. She wasn't going to lose though. She released her lip and gritted her teeth, still pulling the metal ship further up.

Blood dribbled from her nose. A darker shade of green fell over her eyes. She began gasping, but her nails just dug even further into the metal. Her fingernails felt like they were bleeding. They probably were.

Suddenly, everything stopped. Lorna's head jerked forward, almost hitting the dashboard. Her harness stopped her at the last moment. She took a shuddering breath, the green film still obscuring her vision. She looked outside of the window, seeing the ground only feet away from the Blackbird.

Swallowing thickly she set the plane down. Her hands were trembling and everything seemed off kilter. The moment she let the plane go she released it. Her body cried its relief and she heard someone rapidly unbuckling their harness.

"Lorna, are you okay?" Raven said, touching her shoulder.

Other hands were there, unbuckling her. She blinked and saw Alex pulling her head back so that it rested on the back of her seat.

"Lorna?" he asked.

She swallowed again. Lorna brought one of her hands up to her nose, they had been bleeding, and wiped away the blood already there.

"I'm fine," she said.

"You look like hell," Alex said.

"You're not exactly a picture either," said Lorna.

He laughed weakly.

"Everyone okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," Alex said, "Even your jerk brother."

"Heard that!" Peter said.

She smiled before a whirring sound filled her ears. Raven flipped a switch and the ramp descended.

"Everyone, get the hell out of the plane!" she yelled.

There was a scramble in the back. Alex helped Lorna up. She reached out and grabbed her X-men gear, something told her that she was in for a battle. A rumble made the whole plane vibrate as they moved across the aisle.

Peter was waiting for them, jumping from one foot to another.

"Guys, something big is coming," he said.

"No shit," Raven said, "Come on."

They hurried down the ramp. Several of the soldiers had already dispersed, but not everyone was gone. Lorna saw someone that Alex had introduced as Todd looking between them and the trees nervously.

"Get out of here!" Alex said.

"No man left behind," said Todd.

"We're not in the army anymore," Alex said, sounding dismayed.

"Doesn't mean that it's a dumb idea," said Todd.

Alex looked like he was about to argue when two trees collapsed. A giant robotic creation stepped from the shadows, followed by two others. Lorna saw the gleam of the purple and white, saw the way the red and orange eyes fixed on her.

Despite her exhaustion, Lorna snarled. Really? Someone was sending robots after them? Didn't they know who they were dealing with? Lorna reached out her hand, prepared to send the robots into space.

Nothing happened. She tried again, and then grimaced.

"They're not made of metal," she said.

"What?" asked Alex.

"It's like metal, but it's not metallic," she said, "It's an alloy or, never mind. I can't explain it without Hank."

"Great," Raven said.

The robots raised their arms and Lorna was treated to the sight of lasers. Alex pulled her out of the way just as they began shooting. She saw Peter blur to the side, dragging Todd and Raven with him.

Her brother. God, he didn't belong there. Alex sent off two shots at the nearest robot before pulling her behind a few trees, keeping low to the ground and peeking around the trunk to assess the situation.

"We have to get Peter out of here," she said.

"We have to get all of us out of here," Alex said, "My powers hardly dented those things. Might have to try the old hoop method. I don't think concussive is gonna work here."

"You're still on human setting," she said, "Remember, these things aren't alive. But I have a better idea."

"Meaning?"

Lorna picked up her head guard and slipped it over her head. She buckled on her arm guards as well. Her strength was coming back in full force. She felt like herself now, and she gave a cocky grin at Alex.

"Meaning Hank is going to be really pissed at me," she said.

She reached out. The Blackbird lifted into the air.

"Sorry old girl," she said.

The plane tilted on its side and Lorna flicked her hands. The plane crashed into the three robots, sending them flying across the clearing. There was the sound of broken wires, of sparks flying into the air. She turned to Alex, who gave her a strange grin.

"I love you," he said.

She laughed, feeling a little strained. Alex got up and helped her to her feet.

"I think you torched our ride, but I think you also saved us all," he said.

There were several other crashes. Lorna whipped around as more robots hovered into the clearing.

"Don't thank me just yet," she said.

"Duly noted," he said.

He moved away from her then, rings beginning to form around his chest. Lorna stepped away, summoning up the strength to summon the Blackbird again. It was in tatters, but she could deconstruct that for further use.

Alex sent off several rings just as she made the Blackbird splinter. Metal stabbed into the robotic creations as others were sliced in half by burning rings of light. There were several shots fired her way.

Lorna leapt and dodged out of the way of the blows. She looked over and saw Raven with Todd and Peter. Raven and Todd were looking for openings of some kind, an attempt to fight. Peter looked dazed and confused. She needed to get her brother out of there. No matter what else he had done in his life, it hadn't prepared him for life in a war zone.

She wasn't sure what Todd and Raven could do, even though they were prepared. She'd heard of Todd's powers and figured that both were close range fighters, but the robots were designed to attack from long distances. Lorna could tell that whoever was controlling them wasn't going to let them get close.

Lorna stepped in front of where her friends were. She raised her hands and the metal shards of the Blackbird ripped out of the robots. Lorna sent it out to others. There were more rings as Alex ran towards her, dodging fire so that he could stand at her side.

They stood, back to back. Lorna could feel the heat and sweat coming off his body. It was an old technique they had been taught, it gave them better vantage and a better chance of protecting each other. They were going to be in for a fight now: there seemed to be no end to these things.

However, she felt a strange surge of confidence. This was what she was meant to do, and her most prized fighting partner was back at her side.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Ready," Alex said.

He sent off a wave of rings just as Lorna sent the metal shards out again. Several more robots fell, torn apart by their attacks. Sweat beaded beneath her headgear, and she could feel her muscles straining. Her lungs sucked in breath, but the robots were falling. They might have a chance of winning this if they could just outlast them.

The sound of gunfire made her jerk her head. Four trucks were rumbling up to them, each filled with shooters. Who were these people? Lorna supposed it didn't matter for the moment. They were firing at them: she had to make it stop.

She reached out and stopped the bullets before they reached them, but it allowed a robot to get a blast off. She grabbed Alex and rolled out of the way as the beam scorched the earth where they had just been.

Lorna looked up. More robots were advancing, and there were shooters coming in now too. Her heart began beating painfully. They weren't just outgunned now, they were woefully outnumbered. Someone had been tracking them, had planned this well. She couldn't see a way out.

She looked over at Peter, who was staring at the scene before him in shock. He was fast. He could have run away before now, but he hadn't. He had tried to stay with them, out of loyalty or love. Lorna couldn't allow that.

"Peter!" she shouted, "Get out of here!"

"What?" he asked.

His eyes flicked around, wild.

"I can't just leave you here-"

"Yes you can!" Lorna yelled, "You were never supposed to be here in the first place!"

More beams scorched the earth. She fell back against Alex, trying to stop as much gunfire as possible.

"Peter, I'm not telling everyone that I let you go into this!" she screamed, "Go, now!"

Peter gave her a helpless look. His eyes raced around him, taking in the scene. Then there was a blur and he disappeared from sight. Lorna sighed. No matter what happened, at least her brother was safe.

The soldiers continued to come in, and the robots were all holding out their hands, energy gathering in their palms. Alex reached out and Lorna took his hand.

"They're waiting for something," Alex muttered.

"Indeed they are. We don't want to damage anyone. You should come quietly."

Lorna watched as a short man stepped out of the truck and moved towards them. He was heavily flanked, but Lorna could still make out his face.

"Trask, right?" she asked.

"Correct Miss Lensherr," Trask said.

She narrowed her eyes.

"Oh please," he said, "One of my friends has already told me quite a bit about you all. It's why I wouldn't want to damage you."

So Stryker was friends with this asshole after all. She tightened her grip on Alex's fingers.

"Screw that. I already know what you do to people you don't damage all at once," Lorna said.

Trask smiled.

"You have done your research, haven't you?" he said, "And it is true that I need more specimens. Your rather interesting genetic anomaly would be fascinating to study."

The smile slipped off his face.

"But don't get me wrong," he said, "I will order my Sentinels to fire if I feel threatened."

"Then you're in for a fight asshole," Alex said.

Trask's smile returned.

"You don't have much of a choice," he said.

Lorna wasn't sure where the first dart came from. All she knew was there was a dart sticking out of Alex's neck. She caught him as he fell, but she felt something else hit her neck. Her eyes swiveled behind her, catching a glimpse of the sniper. She reached out her hand, her vision already blurring. She couldn't even see Raven any more.

The gun wasn't made of metal. Alex got up and fired a blast in the direction, but another dart stuck out of his arm. Trask laughed.

"I told you," he said, "You don't have much of a choice."


	23. Chapter 23

August 21, 1968

"Chuck, can I have a word?"

Charles sighed as Hank fiddled with the dials. Logan knew that he should be worried that there was a transmission coming through from the Blackbird, one that Hank was desperately trying to make legible. He knew that he should be concentrated on that.

Something else was getting to him though, something big. Charles left Hank's side and walked up to him.

"What is it?" he asked.

There was a slight tone of irritation in his voice. Logan wondered if this was what Charles had meant in the future, that they would be hard to talk to sometimes. After all, they had done everything right up until this point.

Nonetheless, he had to say something.

"I'm worried about Susanna," he said.

Charles raised his eyebrows.

"She's fine," he said, "Quite better than fine really. Hank said that all of her vitals are quite strong."

Logan looked over his shoulder. He had to tell Charles everything, but he knew that Erik couldn't know. It was one thing that the two of them had agreed on.

"That's just it," Logan said, turning back to Charles, "Where I came from, she never woke up."

Charles furrowed his brow.

"But-"

"Right," Logan said, "Somethin changed."

"It can't be bad though," said Charles, "I mean, she's awake. I can't see how that's a bad thing."

"I can," Logan muttered.

Charles narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. He looked back over at Hank before turning his full attention to Logan.

_Meaning?_ he asked.

_I told ya that they used ya sister's DNA, but somethin else happened too._

_What? What do you mean? _Charles demanded.

Logan crossed his arms. He wondered if Charles would even believe him. He had to do something though. He'd lost too much in the future.

_Trask's Sentinels, those things were the response. But somethin convinced everyone that mutants were a threat, that the Sentinels were needed. _

_What?_ Charles thought.

Logan looked him square in the eye.

_Erik._

Charles's eyes widened and he shook his head.

_No,_ he thought,_ You're wrong-_

_He's gonna go crazy,_ Logan said, _Gonna start a full on war against humanity, targeting all humans, military, civilians, it won't matter-_

_You're still wrong,_ insisted Charles, _Erik might be angry, and he may blame humanity for quite a bit, but he wouldn't do that. His own wife and daughter are humans!_

Logan gave Charles a level look. There was no point in keeping anything back.

_I told ya all that everyone who went out there an got captured got back out eventually,_ Logan said, _An that's true. Ta some extent._

Charles's eyes widened.

_Lorna?_

_Died during an escape attempt with Alex,_ Logan thought bluntly, _Ya told me that she'd already been hurt when he tried ta get her out. Bled ta death in his arms. Managed ta get the body back, but that's all. Screwed him up for a while. _

If anyone asked Logan, it had screwed Alex up for more than just a while. As long as he'd known Alex he'd teetered on the brink, a small part of him convinced that he should have joined Magneto and avenged the girl he'd loved.

Charles from the future had known it too. It was why he'd told Logan that he'd often worried about Alex, right up until Scott had come to the Institute. It had given Alex someone who looked up to him, who reminded him of who he was.

Even then, some part of him had remained dark and violent, scarred by the memory of his love dying in his arms after a week of torture. Logan could sympathize.

_But...surely...Erik..._Charles thought.

His desperation was evident, but Logan had to make him understand. Erik had been a caged animal who had suffered, and when he had suffered past his breaking point, he had lashed out. It had doomed them all.

_Same night Lorna dies ta school gets attacked_, he thought, _Wanda, she tries ta get Anya out. Anya tries ta get her mother out. There's too much fire. Wanda manages ta save Anya, but not her mother._

Charles sank down onto a nearby chair.

_He loses Lorna and Susanna on the same night,_ he thought.

_He's never ta same,_ Logan thought, _He's gonna divide us all when he tries ta get revenge, cause he doesn't just stop with Trask. Fore long, everyone in America, in the goddamn world, is fearing the name Magneto._

_But, Anya-_

_He tries to take her with him,_ Logan thought, feeling impatient and glad that Charles had taken the time to explain all of this to him in the future, _Says she's an exception. Anya wouldn't go. Too scared, too disappointed, too damn confused. It's an ongoing battle. Ya said once that she was the loneliest girl ya'd ever known._

_But she would never stop fighting for him,_ Charles thought, _Nor would I._

_Ya didn't,_ Logan agreed, _And she didn't either. Him or what she thinks he should be fightin for. Goes inta politics._

_ But when she's campaigning for mutant rights and givin a speech, some nut job puts a bullet in her brain, _he thought.

_Oh God,_ said Charles.

_Erik only got worse after that,_ Logan thought.

Charles buried his head in his hands. From his position at the communication dashboard, Hank looked over at the two of them.

"Professor?" he asked, "Are you-?"

"I'm fine Hank," Charles said, "Just get that signal."

Charles looked back up at Logan.

_If Susanna's awake, then no one would have to save her if there's an attack,_ Charles thought, _This might help things._

_And Lorna?_ Logan asked, _Just savin Susanna might not be enough._

_He would never-_

_Look into my mind_, Logan thought.

Charles swallowed and did so. Logan showed him the times he'd fought Erik, fought the Brotherhood. He showed him images of what Wanda and Peter would become, the feared Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver. Erik wasn't the only one who had cared about Lorna.

He let him see the burning buildings, the screams of the innocents caught up in the barrage. He even let him see the news clipping of Anya's death. It had all been filmed by a local news network, the way she had tilted her head up and looked her killer coldly in the eyes before her blood had covered the podium.

_Do ya understand?_ Logan demanded.

Charles looked up at him, his eyes determined.

_Yes, _he thought,_ I do._

The door opened, and Erik walked in. Charles stared at his friend for a minute before getting up.

"What's the message?" he asked.

"I can't quite get it," Hank said, giving Logan and Charles a suspicious look, "There's too much static and-"

He winced.

"It just cut out," he said.

Logan and Charles shared a look. It meant that the future might very well still be set in stone.

* * *

Peter felt like a coward. Tears of frustration and anger streamed from his eyes, clogging the inside of his goggles. Lorna had been right when she'd told him not to come. He was useless in a fight. The gunfire had started, and he had just frozen.

Sure, he'd robbed banks in the past. Any time he needed some cash, or just wanted twinkies, then he'd just gone out and taken them. It wasn't like anyone could stop him. He'd never been in a combative situation before though.

Even when he'd been forced to fight, the people had been slow and stupid. He'd laughed at them as he ran circles around them. How does one run circles around giant death machines? Around things that weren't even guns? No, there was nothing that he really knew that could fix thins.

He'd left so many people in danger. He didn't know Todd, and he barely knew Alex and Raven. Yet the thought of them dying felt like it was crippling him. Was it just that they were going to die and he didn't want them to? Or was it because they were like him, a strange and special something in a world that didn't appreciate them. Now, because of that special something, they were going to die.

And then there was Lorna. Lorna was in a different league.

_"Is your brother alright?"_

He didn't know if Lorna knew he'd heard what his father had said, but he had. He'd heard his father call him her brother. Was his father finally saying what they'd known for so long? What had happened to make him care? Or had he finally come to his senses? Was he accepting him as his son?

Peter had tried so hard to make his sisters think that he didn't care about their father, but part of him did. The kind of acceptance he'd gotten from Wanda, and from some extent Lorna and Anya, had been precious to him. The thought of getting it from their mutual link was a staggering one.

He'd gotten it from Wanda, who had loved him all along. Lorna and Anya had at least started out being cordial to him. His father had started out being cold towards him, and had somehow come to care for him anyway.

In Peter's world, that didn't happen. Love wasn't unconditional except when it was from Wanda, and no one who hated you would ever care about you. These past few weeks had been changing all of that.

_"Is your brother alright?"_

His words hammered home that Lorna really was his sister. Peter stopped running for a minute and looked back. He was terrified of going back, of those robots, of the guns, of war in all its terrible and frightening glory.

But his sister was back there. His new sister, but his sister. Peter knew he was an asshole, he had quite a few opinions to confirm it, but he did actually care about his family. Did she have a way to get out? No, otherwise she wouldn't have told him to run.

Hesitantly he took off his goggles, looking back to where he knew they all were. His goggles dripped with the tears that had dripped from his eyes. Peter rested them on his head, breathing hard as old tears mingled with new ones.

Lorna had told him to go, true. He'd obeyed. But what if it had been Wanda? Would he have left Wanda, no matter how much she told him to? No. Peter wouldn't have left her. She was his sister, and brothers didn't leave their sisters to die.

Just because Lorna hadn't been raised with him didn't make her any less his sister.

_"Is your brother alright?"_

He clenched his hands into fists. Maybe he wasn't strong or trained like the rest of them were. Maybe he wasn't as smart. It didn't matter. He refused to stand idly by while his sister rushed off into danger.

Peter grabbed his goggles and jammed them back over his eyes. Without a second thought he raced back to the clearing. His heart was hammering in his chest. If he ran fast enough, then he could get it right. The clearing rushed up to meet him, and he saw the scores of robots. He saw the beams trained on Alex and Lorna, saw them as they began to fall to the ground.

One of them had a gun trained on Lorna. That needed to end. Peter ran around him, tilting the gun so it was aimed at the air. He changed the positions of a few others, hopefully giving himself a few extra seconds to escape.

He raced forward and grabbed Lorna. A fleeting thought told him that she wouldn't be happy about this, that she'd would've wanted him to rescue the others instead of her. However, he could only choose one without severely hampering his speed. Maybe it was selfish, but he chose his sister.

Peter grabbed Lorna's arm with one hand and put his hand behind her head with the other. He skimmed the surface of the ground, pushing himself faster than anything he'd ever done before. Lorna was weakly talking him, probably protesting his kidnapping of her, his unwillingness to leave, that her friends and fiancé were still back there.

Peter didn't care. He was a selfish asshole after all.


	24. Chapter 24

April 21, 1968

Susanna sat next to Wanda, twisting her hands together. In a few minutes the car would be pulling out, taking them to the safe house where the entire school was being evacuated to. Erik had told her that Moira and Anya were there. She remembered the kind woman from the CIA, and she was glad that someone familiar was in charge.

The thought of seeing her youngest daughter made her heart leap into her throat. She ached to hold her in her arms, to see how she'd grown, to reassure herself that there was still time before her childhood was over.

She yearned to do the same for Lorna, although she knew that at twenty-two that her daughter was a woman grown. She had lost what little was left of her childhood. Perhaps that was just how it had to be. It didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy the time she had with her though.

There was another child to talk to until then though. Wanda kept giving her furtive, hopeful glances. Susanna wished she knew just what to say. It was one of the only things that she'd ever considered herself good at, and now she couldn't even figure out what to say to her stepdaughter.

No, she couldn't think of her like that. Not her stepdaughter, not the child her husband had had with another woman. It wasn't fair when Wanda was so clearly desperate to be more. If half of what she'd said about her own mother was true, then Susanna knew that the girl next to her deserved someone who cared.

The car started and she swallowed. Susanna turned to Wanda, smiling.

"I think that this might be a good chance to get acquainted," she said.

Wanda looked at her, surprised.

"Oh," she said.

"For instance, I know so little about you," Susanna said, "What type of books do you like to read? Hobbies?"

Wanda hugged herself. Susanna had noticed that the girl seemed a little dizzy when they got into the car.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Wanda said, "Just a little tired I guess."

She reached up and pushed back some of her auburn hair.

"The last book I read was _The Outsiders_," Wanda said.

Susanna sighed, feeling embarrassed. She'd never even heard about it.

"When did that come out?" she asked.

"Last...last year," Wanda mumbled.

"I guess I'll have to put it on my reading list," said Susanna.

"It's um, some people don't like it," Wanda said, looking a little panicked, "It's about underprivileged children. They, um, they don't have anywhere to go, and it says some bad things about the middle class. Not that they're all bad, just that some are."

Susanna cocked her head.

"Is that what you think, or what your teacher thinks?" she asked.

"My teacher," Wanda said, "She caught me reading it under my desk."

"Well, she should probably read it before she judges it," Susanna said.

"Are you sure?" Wanda asked, "I know it's not for everybody."

Susanna paused, folding her hands in her lap. Outside her window she saw trees and green fields whizzing by. Further up in the car other children were chattering away. She had to collect her thoughts though, because she wanted Wanda to understand.

In her experience people only sounded like Wanda did when they were worried about something. Susanna could easily understand what she was trying to say.

"I'll have to see for myself," she said, "And you haven't offended me you know."

"I didn't-"

"I grew up in a middle-class household, but that changed when my parents died," Susanna said, "My father was a doctor in World War II, my mother a nurse. It wasn't a field hospital, so they thought that it was a secure location. There was a mortar round."

She cleared her throat.

"I didn't have any other relatives," Susanna said, "It was why I was travelling with them in the first place, assisting. I was sent to this town in Michigan where they were sending other children like me, children they didn't know what to do with."

Susanna managed a smile.

"And that's where I met your father," she said.

Wanda's eyes widened.

"I didn't know all of that," she said, "Lorna didn't mention...I know that um, other things, but not that."

Wanda fidgeted.

"How did you, with all of that, how did you manage?"

The hopeful curiosity in her tone was too much for Susanna. She reached out and touched the girl's hand. Wanda blinked a few times. Susanna wondered how damaged she was on the inside, just how bad those years with her mother had been.

It was time to create a better future.

"It was a long time ago," said Susanna, "I can look back on it now and not be so sad. You just...you learn to pick yourself up and move on sooner or later. I chose to pick sooner, carry the sweet memories inside me but let the pain go. I wanted to think about the good things in life."

She closed her eyes for a moment.

"And when I thought I lost the man I loved, I still had a child," she said, "And I didn't see that as a blessing at first. I had no money, no resources. I didn't even have a job. I had to cobble something together quickly. It was enough, but everywhere I looked people were telling me to give my baby up."

She opened her eyes.

"But I couldn't lose her," Susanna said, "I loved her too much. I couldn't just let her go and never find out what happened to her. So I kept her close, and she was the joy of my life. And I was blessed, because I did see Erik again, and I was given another daughter. And even though things have been difficult, I can hold onto that."

As the words left her lips, she couldn't help but be struck by their simple truth. There was a strange sense of peace within her, one that she had never quite regained since Shaw had come into their lives. It was the simple sense of things being right in some ways, and that all problems were manageable.

She looked over at Wanda. Wanda had her head bowed, but she could see the tears in her eyes.

"I don't think my mother ever felt that way about me," she said, "Even when I was little."

"But your brother did," said Susanna.

"Yeah," Wanda said, looking up and using her free hand to wipe away her tears, "He did. He's annoying, and impetuous, and he drives me crazy sometimes, but I always knew he loved me."

"I'm glad," said Susanna, "It shows that your brother is a good man."

Part of her was a little frightened of meeting the boy. He would look like Erik, she was sure. She locked away that little glimmer of pain. She wasn't sure how Peter wanted her to see him, as a stepson or a son, but if he was anything like his sister she wasn't sure if she could view him with any level of detachment.

Either way, she would make do.

"I know he is Susanna," Wanda said.

Susanna hesitated, and then squeezed her hand.

"I know I'm no replacement for your mother. That must be, well, I can't imagine it really," she said, "And I'm not entirely sure how you feel about all of this, or what your feelings towards her as your mother are. But I would be privileged if you would call me mother one day."

Wanda's head shot up.

"Of course, this is only if you want to," Susanna said, "I don't want to make you uncomfortable-"

Wanda unbuckled and threw her arms around Susanna's neck. Susanna immediately returned the hug. She closed her eyes, wondering what kind of pain that Wanda had endured that made her so open to the idea of another's love. A girl like Wanda wanted to be loved, to be hugged.

"No one but Peter's ever wanted me before I came here," Wanda whispered, "No one. And then everyone...everyone just..."

"We aren't perfect," said Susanna.

She thought of her first feelings towards the twins guiltily. Still, there was no reason to feel them. Wanda was such a sweet girl. If she wanted to be Susanna's third daughter, then Susanna wouldn't protest.

"But we can all learn to love," she said.

Wanda released her, looking teary-eyed.

"I'm glad I...I'm so very glad you woke up," she said.

"Me too," Susanna said.

The car stopped and she heard a door open. They were in the back, so they would be getting out last. Susanna was still not quite certain of her footing. As they waited she looked over at Wanda and smiled.

"Now, it's been quite a while since I saw my youngest," she said, "Erik told me that she's doing well."

"She's very sweet and clever," Wanda said, "Peter calls her a baby doll."

"That sounds like her," said Susanna, "For all the trouble we had with the birth, Anya was a perfect, pudgy little girl. She looked like a picture."

Wanda nodded. She climbed out of the car and then put out her hands to help Susanna. Susanna took a few steps down. Once her foot touched the ground a blur raced behind Wanda. Susanna's hair whipped around her and she turned her eyes to follow it.

It stopped by a tree. She saw a young man collapse on the ground, his hands spread out to keep him from falling face-forward into the grass. Susanna saw another shape fall next to him, sinking to her knees with gritted teeth.

Very few other details caught her attention. She could make out the young woman better as she got up. She didn't need too much information though. The green hair had already told her everything she needed to know.

Susanna hardly knew what she was doing, but she ran forward. Her eyes were singing with tears, and she could feel her heart leap into her throat. Her weak legs almost caused her to stumble, and she thought that Wanda called for her.

"You should've saved someone else," Lorna said.

"Sorry," the boy wheezed, "But you're my sister dammit."

Nothing else reached her ears. Lorna turned towards her. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth opened.

"Mom?"

She wrapped her firstborn in her arms, clutching her close to her chest. Susanna knew that she was crying, that tears were soaking her daughter's hair. But she could feel Lorna crying too, feel her daughter's fingers digging into her skin.

"You're back, you're back, you're back," Lorna whispered.

Susanna pulled away and cupped her daughter's cheeks. Any remaining softness in Lorna's face had disappeared. Her face was sharper now, her eyes clearer. There was something harsh, but also something so perfect in Lorna's features.

"You're all grown up," she managed.

Lorna put her hands up and grasped her mother's wrists.

"You're so beautiful," Susanna said.

She choked back another sob and held her close. Susanna closed her eyes, rocking her daughter back and forth. Lorna took a shuddering breath. Susanna couldn't see her face, but the memory of her shocked wonder was enough.

"When?" she asked.

"Last night, early this morning," Susanna said, "Something like that. Not very long."

She opened her eyes and saw two curious eyes staring at her. She'd been on the receiving end of that look enough to know who the boy was.

"And this is Peter, isn't it?" she said.

He nodded, looking at her strangely. She saw Wanda kneel next to him, the resemblance between the two enough to banish any lingering doubts she might have had. Lorna took another shuddering breath.

"Mom, I'm so happy you're awake," she said.

Lorna pulled away a bit, still taking deep breaths.

"But something happened," she said, "And I need to tell dad right away."

* * *

_**A/N: **I got a message from someone the other day, but because they didn't have an account I wasn't able to reply. I don't really see Hank and Anya as a couple. The age gap is about twelve years, and Hank's been her favorite babysitter since she was six. I see their relationship as more of a brother and sister situation. Anya is Hank's prodigy. She might not be as smart as him, but he knows she's intuitive, mature, and that she wants to be 'special' in her own right. _

_In chapter 12 I mentioned a character called Sharon, who is Hank's daughter and David's girlfriend in the future. She's based on the mutant Catseye, and I've used her in my other stories, starting in 'Beauty and the Beast' where she was Hank's daughter by his wife Carly. Carly was a character from the original X-men cartoon series that I believe is seriously underrated. _


	25. Chapter 25

April 21, 1968

Alex could feel blood drying on his lip, the drugs coursing through his system, keeping him numb. Next to him he could see Todd looking at him blearily. Alex wanted to tell him to fight the drugs, but whatever had been in those darts had been powerful shit.

Things had been blurry for a long time. The truck ride was almost completely dark, but from the brief glimpse of the sun he'd gotten he didn't think that they had been in there for too long. They'd been close-ish to the Institute when they went down, so there was a chance that their rescue party could come soon.

He breathed in. It was getting a little easier to breathe. He tried to recall anything he'd remembered of the layout of the place, but he couldn't. The last thing he could really remember was the streak of speed that had snatched Lorna from under Trask's nose. If he'd been any less drugged he would've chuckled. The look on the asshole's face had been priceless as his men had fired into the air. One had even punched himself.

Peter had gotten Lorna out of there. That was his biggest concern taken care of. There were others, but she wasn't going to get cut up or whatever the hell Trask wanted to do. He knew that there were other prisoners in there with him, at least one. When he really focused he could vaguely remember hearing labored breathing from another room when they'd been dragged to the cell.

Still, he had to start thinking about escape. Alex had no intention of getting filleted for some sicko's curiosity. Next to him Todd groaned. He was coming around. Good. Might be nice to have some conscious company.

His friend groaned again and pushed himself up a little.

"Where...?" he asked.

"In...the shit," said Alex.

He sighed and closed his eyes. The X-men had actually undergone a few briefings on what to do if they were captured and held in enemy territory. It hadn't been something they'd gone over at first, but when they saw some of the labs they'd started getting a little antsy.

Moira had obtained some documents from the CIA that told their operatives what to do if they were attacked. They had been pretty good, but they had all talked like an extraction team would be coming. One had mentioned suicide pills in certain situations.

Erik had then stood up and told them that death was weakness. He'd practically snarled that out. If they were afraid of betraying information, then they should bite their tongue so they'd be unintelligible. They should break their fingers so they wouldn't be tempted to write it out.

Charles had looked alarmed at this, but it had seemed like it would be difficult to interrupt Erik when he was on a roll. If they died by their own hand, he'd told them that he'd personally find them in whatever afterlife they believed in and beat the shit out of them. It might have been comical coming from anyone else. Only from Erik did Alex know that he'd meant it.

He'd given Alex a particularly harsh look when he'd said that. Alex wanted to roll his eyes and tell him that he'd had no intention of dying and leaving Lorna to mourn him. He might've been an idiot about some things, but he wasn't an idiot about everything.

He'd given his own information then, telling them about ways to deal with pain, about things he'd wished he'd known when he was younger. Hence Alex knew how to dislocate his wrists if he needed to slip out of handcuffs. He'd even had a few lessons on keeping hydrated, of appearing to be weak but looking for ways out.

Charles had called this part of the training morbid, but Erik had called it practical. Alex figured they were both right in their own ways. They had signed up for this, and maybe that meant having blood drying on your face after being drugged and dragged into a little cell. It certainly looked like it did.

He thought about what he'd decided when he thought that Stryker was going to take them all away. Death had seemed like a viable option then, and it still did. He might never make it to his wedding, never see his friends, mentors, or love again.

He'd gotten a few extra hours with Lorna though. She'd agreed to marry him early. That had to give him some strength. He'd seen Raven, ridden in the Blackbird, got a taste of home. Maybe he wasn't going to go home, but it was good to think that he had so much to go back to compared to six years ago.

Now he needed to set his mind on other things, like layouts. He was also trying to figure out ways to break his fingers if he needed to.

"Plan?" Todd asked.

He opened his eyes.

"Not yet," he managed.

"Hmm..." Todd said.

Alex slid his eyes over to him. He wished that he could tell him that he should've run and left him to his fate, to have not stayed with Peter and Raven. He wished that Todd wasn't so helplessly loyal. Maybe he wouldn't have been in this mess if he'd been a little more cowardly.

Which actually reminded him. Where was Raven? He lolled his eyes from side to side, but he couldn't see her in the room. Was it possible that she was in a different wing because she was a woman? He didn't think that Trask was too worried about separating the genders for some reason.

So where was she?

* * *

Raven tried to keep calm as she walked down the hall. During the hubbub that resulted when Peter took Lorna she'd moved into the crowd of soldiers. Raven had managed to get behind the group. She'd knocked one out and then disguised herself as him. Raven had also stolen his security badge. She might have never been able to really get along with her sister-in-law, but she'd had some good ideas for her.

In a matter of seconds she had slipped back in with the crowd. She'd wanted to do something as she saw Alex and Todd get dragged into the truck. However, there was only one of her. She would have to wait for her opportunity. So she had moved in with Trask's assassins and waited for her opportunity.

So far she had managed to get quite far in his labyrinth of sadism. The top floors looked like a regular lab, but below stairs she had seen some of his less savory experiments. She'd slunk to the room where Alex and Todd were being held, but the badge didn't get her in.

She gritted her teeth in frustration. Raven crossed her arms and tried to think. She should get to a place where she could call the Institute, give them their exact location. It would be risky, but she could do it.

She had just turned when another door opened. Raven made a slight change in her direction before walking towards the door. Her heart was pounding, but she kept looking ahead as though she knew where she was going.

Sure enough, the guard held the door open for her. She nodded to them and the door closed behind her. Sometimes Raven couldn't believe how idiotic people could be. Again, she had to thank Moira for this particular knowledge. Part of her disguise would always have to be looking like she belonged. If she didn't have that, then she might as well not have bothered.

She was in another cell block, but most of the cells were empty. There weren't any cameras there, and she wondered at that. If it was empty, then of course they wouldn't need any cameras. But if that were true, then no one would be going in there to start with.

As she walked, she realized that not all of the cells were unoccupied. She moved closer to a dark shape towards the end. The closer she got she could see that it wasn't Alex or Todd. Raven had suspected as much. She hadn't suspected who she did find though.

"You," she said.

Azazel's eyes flicked over to her. Even in the dim light she could see the scars and bandages glinting on his body.

"Do I know you?" he hissed.

Raven narrowed her eyes. She allowed her skin to shift into her natural form. He smirked and leaned back.

"So, I do," he said.

"Not as little as I'd like," Raven said.

She shifted back into the soldier. She couldn't be too careful if she was going to break Alex and Todd out.

"Xavier's," Azazel muttered, "Da?"

Raven knew enough Russian to know how to respond.

"Da," she spat.

Raven crossed her arms.

"How long have you been here?" she demanded.

He squinted.

"Year?" he asked.

"1968," she replied.

Azazel snorted, but she could hear a wealth of bitterness behind it.

"Four years."

She spluttered and took a step back.

"Do not worry," he said, his tone conversational, "They will kill me soon. Unless you are here for that."

Azazel gave her a long look.

"But I do not think this," he said.

Raven drew herself up. Her fist instinct was to tell the man behind bars to go to hell. She could still remember the stories she'd heard about him. He'd threatened Anya, a girl of six, and had fought Raven's brother and Erik in Russia. He'd nearly killed Hank and Alex at Cuba. The last thing she wanted to do was be near him.

Then caution and sense took over her. He was a prisoner here. She couldn't imagine what they had been doing to him. It didn't erase the past, but it did make her pause. She was also alone in this building, trying to accomplish a ridiculously difficult task. Raven could use an ally.

So she bit down her pride.

"Can you still teleport?" she asked.

He gave her a bitter look and gestured to something around his neck.

"This stops me," he said.

Raven nodded, although she didn't really understand.

"I'll try to see if I can get that off you," she said, "People don't attack people that they think are their allies. Now, do you think you can teleport when I get that off? Possibly through locked doors and walls?

He laughed.

"It is like falling off of bike, da, I can," he said, "Limited times, perhaps, but da."

"Alright," she said, "We can just-"

"What makes you think I will join? You forget me until needed devochka," he said, "What do Xavier and Lensherr need?"

Raven bared her teeth. She wasn't sure where this feral part of her was coming from, but her friends were in danger. She was in no mood for games.

"It's what I need. They don't have anything to do with it," Raven hissed, "I have two friends in here, and I'd like to get them out. For some reason I don't think you want to die in here, and I think that I'm the best chance you've had in four years. So you should just listen to me instead of screwing around."

She panted angrily, only then realizing that she had shifted back to her blue form. She quickly shifted back and glowered at him. He gave her an appraising look.

"Da," he said, "Da."

"Good," Raven said, "So if I can get you out of here, I need you to be my ride. I need to get my friends out."

"I do not know how much I can do," he said, "But much of that, da."

He grinned at her. A strange tingle went down her spine. For some reason, she had the feeling that he was impressed by her. That wasn't a comforting thought.


	26. Chapter 26

April 21, 1968

Lorna blinked sluggishly. The drugs that were running through her system were slowing her down, but with Moira's first aid experience she knew that they were fading. Every few seconds she kept looking to the side, her mother holding her hand and stroking the back of it. She had to check that she was real.

She could vaguely remember Anya coming in. Her sister had given a little shriek and then, caught between worry for her sister and astonishment over her mother's presence, grabbed Lorna's hand and threw herself into her mother's arms. She was still there.

They had immediately called her father. Her eyes had closed after that, and it was a little difficult to open them. When she did Wanda and Peter were sitting next to her as well. Her mother didn't seem astonished by their presence. Did she know? No. How could she?

These thoughts and others drifted in and out of her head. They became sharper each time they went through. Alex, Todd, and Raven had been back there at the Blackbird. They were most likely captured, possibly worse.

Peter had chosen to save her. She loved him and cursed him for it. Lorna wished that he had taken any one of the others. She was strong, she knew that she could fight back against anything they threw at her. While she was sure the others were strong too, she would have preferred it if it had been her.

And Alex. She had fought so hard to protect him. Now she might lose him anyway. A door opened somewhere and she managed to open her eyes. Her father was in the room, looking breathless. Charles was close behind him, as well as Hank and a strange man with side burns. He looked at her like he was afraid she was going to break.

Lorna hated him already.

"Lorna?" her father asked.

Despite everything that had happened over the past few days, she couldn't help but feel relieved to hear her father's voice. It was too important to let go of. He sat down on the edge of her bed. Her mother reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

He grabbed her mother's hand with one of his. Next to her she saw as Hank bustled with an IV bag as her father leaned over her. He whispered, softly, so that she was the only one who could hear:

"We're going to have a long conversation later. But we can start by saying that I'm an idiot who should've listened to you."

She sighed. It relieved her more than she could say to hear that from her father. Her lips were too stiff and dumb to adequately express this though, so she settled for a simple:

"Duh."

He chuckled and moved away slightly.

"You're going to be better soon," he said, "But in the meantime, we're going to have to ask your brother what happened."

There was no alarm in her mother's eyes when her father said that. She knew. When had they found time to tell her?

"These weird robot things showed up," Peter said, "They kinda surrounded us, there was a fight, some soldiers, and I skedaddled along with Lorna."

"They're called Sentinels."

She blinked. The man with side burns was talking.

"They're in their early prototype version," he said, "In twenty years they're going to be licensed by some private dealers. In another decade they're going to be the peace keeping weapon of choice for the United Nations."

Her father closed his eyes, his forehead pulsing. What was this idiot talking about?

"What the hell are you blabbering about?" Peter asked.

Good. At least her brother shared her views.

"Peter, you and I are gonna be good friends one day," the man sighed, "And you're gonna annoy the shit outta me. But right now I need ya ta shut yer damn mouth."

Peter narrowed his eyes. Her father shook his head.

"While I cannot approve of Logan's language, now isn't the time for details," he said, "We need to formulate a plan of action. They still have two of our people."

"And Alex's friend from boot camp," Peter said, "Todd or something."

"Damn Toad," Logan muttered.

"I'm just ignoring everything you say from now on," said Peter.

Lorna couldn't help but feel it was a wise decision.

"Either way, we need to get them out," Charles said.

"We need Raven to make things right," Logan said.

She couldn't ignore him anymore.

"What...?" she managed.

"Lorna, I promise that I will explain everything later," her father said, "But right now we need to think about saving Alex and the others. Do you understand?"

She sighed and jerked her head to the side. She really was getting better. Whatever Hank had put in her IV was doing wonders.

"We need to get a team together to go down there," Charles said, "Obviously I'll go. Logan too, Hank, Sean, Darwin, and Erik. That should work."

"Me," Lorna said.

Charles shook his head.

"Lorna, I cannot allow you to go with us," he said.

"You just got back," her mother said.

Lorna smiled sadly at her mother. Six years had passed since her mother had last seen her, six years since she had honed all of the fighting skills that her father had insisted she learn. Perhaps her mother still saw her as that rebellious teenager.

"You're drugged," her mother said.

Or perhaps she was just worried about that.

"Not a problem," Hank said, "It would've passed through her system by the time we get ready."

Logan shot him a murderous look. Lorna felt herself hating him even more. Here she was, not even in a position to argue for herself, and he was treating her like she was some sort of doll. Didn't any women fight wherever he came from?

"The defense of the students-" Charles began.

"We'll be fairly well defended here," Moira said softly, "We have older kids who are adept at their mutations, and no one knows where this is. Charles, we'll be safe for a few hours."

He gave Moira a pleading look. Not Charles too.

"I still can't sanction this," Charles said, "It doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Charles, she's one of our heavy hitters," her father snapped, "If she says she'll be good to go, then I trust her."

"She's intimately connected with-"

"We're all 'intimately connected' goddamit!" Erik snapped, "She should have a chance to fight for her future, just like the rest of us."

Charles and Logan exchanged looks. Lorna turned away from them, irritated, and looked at her father. He looked back at her, and she could see the faith he had for her. It made her want to get the drug out of her system even faster so she could prove him right and give the two men at the other end of the room a piece of her mind.

"Is there no changing your mind?" Charles asked.

"You know we're going into uncharted territory," said Erik, "You know the risks. We need the team at full power, and we're already missing two."

Charles closed his eyes. Lorna wondered, from the way his lips were silently moving, if he was praying.

"Alright," he said, "We're in God's hands now."

For some reason Lorna had the feeling that there was something that he wasn't telling them.

* * *

April 21, 2008

The moment that Warpath spotted the Sentinels, David quietly closed his eyes and braced himself. They had to buy time: Logan hadn't fixed things yet. He would've come back if he had, David would've been waking up with no knowledge of the hellish world he'd grown up in.

Next to him Sharon squeezed his hand. He looked towards her. A small part of him wondered just what things would be like if Logan succeeded in altering the future. Would he fall in love with Sharon? Would she even be born?

Perhaps it didn't matter: he wouldn't remember her either way. It was a cruel thought, but they had murmured to each other at night about their feelings and the lessons they had learned about sacrifice. Even if he didn't remember, he had to have faith that they were going to be together in the future. He would forget this life, and they would build a new one.

But he remembered her now, and it made the assurance of death incredibly painful. Even if that pain would only last a few minutes, it would still hurt like hell. It was why he reached over and kissed her, hard. He twined his hands in her white hair, held her close for what he knew was going to be the last time.

They pulled away reluctantly.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you too," Sharon murmured.

He looked at her for another moment, and her beautiful, cat-like eyes. He'd be a fool in the future if he saw her and didn't love her. David believed that he was many things, but he didn't think that any version of him was going to be that stupid.

So he let go of her and looked over at Blink. Colossus was standing next to them, his skin turning to metal. The wind was picking up: Storm was getting ready. He touched the rosary on his belt for good luck, that and the hope that Kurt was watching from somewhere.

"I'm ready," David said.

Colossus nodded, and Blink formed a crystal in her hand. She tossed it and David and Colossus charged through. He felt the wind whip around him as he fell. David threw his hands out to steady himself, his telekinesis in full force.

He still landed a little harder than he would've preferred, but it was good enough. Colossus launched himself to another ship and David got up. He cracked his knuckles, feeling the different gears and bolts of the ship beneath his feet.

David closed his eyes and clasped his hands together. Slowly he started to drag them apart. The ship creaked and screeched beneath him as he ripped it apart, screws and bolts coming loose as the ship crumbled.

Blood dripped from his nose, but this wasn't the first time he'd done this. The ship began to fall from under him: he'd finally reached an engine. David opened his eyes and ran across the collapsing roof of the ship. Another was nearby.

Using a push from his telekinesis, he managed to get to another ship. David did the same thing, only this time he could hear Colossus behind him. He was good at what he did. Colossus had gone up against Sentinels by himself in their early days and triumphed. If only the adaptable Sentinels had never gotten off the ground.

That was what they were trying to prevent though, that and many other things. He turned his hands and ripped apart the engine of the ship he was on. He managed to get to a third ship before he saw a wave of Sentinels coming towards him, disgorged from the belly of another ship.

_Blink, Colossus and I need an evac!_ he thought.

He stretched out his arms, twisting his fingers. Three of the Sentinels were tossed into the others, knocking them to the ground. He reached out for others just as a portal appeared a few feet to his left.

David ran towards it. He leapt inside and tumbled into the courtyard of the small temple. A few seconds later Colossus tumbled next to him. He got up and nodded at Blink before climbing up to the wall where Storm had her hands stretched towards the sky.

He could already hear the rumble of thunder, see ships light up as lightning streaked down them.

"I heard your handiwork," Alex muttered, "Looks like you got some."

"There are at least a hundred others," David said.

"I know."

David glanced behind him. Somewhere, in the back of that temple, his father and their last hope resided. He could only pray that they could give them enough time.


	27. Chapter 27

April 22, 1968

"You're going to be safe, aren't you?" Susanna asked.

Lorna smiled as she put the last of her gear into a backpack. It was close to two in the morning, but she felt wide awake and ready. She walked over to her mother and kissed her on the forehead.

"I'm always careful mom," she said, "I don't want to die any more than the next person."

"Lorna's super strong," Anya said.

"And she has a really mean right hook," said Peter.

Her mother frowned.

"Lorna, have you been punching your brother?"

Peter winced and Wanda shot him a scathing look. Lorna still wasn't sure what had passed between Wanda, her father, and her mother while she was gone. Whatever it had been had resulted in her mother referring to Peter as her brother.

Apparently Peter still wasn't used to it. Lorna wasn't surprised. Her mother came as quite a shock to most people on their first meeting.

"Just once," she said, "It taught him never to sneak up behind me."

"And her knocking me unconscious on the plane ride to Vietnam taught me never to trust a hug from her," Peter said.

"You shouldn't have even been there," snapped Wanda.

Her mother smiled and shook her head. Her smile fell as she looked over at the last piece of equipment that Lorna hadn't packed: her head gear. She picked it up, turning it back and forth slightly.

Lorna reached out and took it. Her mother's hands were limp and unresisting.

"I just want you to be safe," she said, "I know you're in your twenties, and you can take care of yourself. You could take care of yourself since you were twelve. But..."

Lorna reached out and hugged her mother. It felt so good to be able to do this after six years.

"I know," she said.

She released her mother and looked over at Anya. Her little sister was looking at her with that sweet confidence that, no matter what, everything was going to turn out alright. Where had she gotten such optimism? Originally Lorna knew it had come from their mother, but she had been gone for six years. Anya hadn't looked this calm when they had gone out to fight Shaw.

Since then, perhaps it had evolved into something rather new.

"And you take care, okay?" Lorna said, reaching down and hugging her.

Anya hugged her back.

"Okay," she said, "Nothing's gonna happen though."

"Let's hope you're right," Lorna said.

She released her little sister and looked over at Wanda and Peter.

"Don't do anything stupid," she said.

"I doubt they'll do that," her mother said.

"No, we can be kind of impetuous," Wanda said.

Lorna scoffed.

"Stop selling yourself short," she said, "You think things through. You're not like Mr. Impulse over here."

Wanda smiled at her, but there was something off about it. It was like she was keeping a secret. Or was Lorna imagining it? She'd never had a sister who had reached her teenage years. Anya still had some time until then, which made it easier for Lorna.

"But when I get back, I think that you two might want to consider becoming X-men," Lorna said.

"They're still so young," Susanna said.

Lorna grinned. It definitely felt like they were one family.

"Yeah, right. I was kind of helpless against those Sentinel whatevers," snorted Peter, "I don't know what good-"

"Use your head," Lorna said, "That usually spells disaster when it comes to you and I, but I know that you're creative."

She looked over at Wanda.

"And I think that you might not be using your powers to their full potential," she said, "Like Peter, you might have to get creative."

She'd expected Wanda to look timid at the prospect, but instead there was something glinting in her eye that she didn't recognize.

"But I don't want you to decide all at onece," she said, "I don't have a men's version of this, but this was one of Hank's prototypes for me."

She fished in her backpack and pulled out another piece of head gear. Hank had abandoned it because it was too thin, and while it made for better vision it didn't give her as much protection. Since she thought Wanda's powers had more to do with the world around her, and less to do with the tactile aspects of it, it might be better for her.

Wanda took it and turned it over in her hands. Like Lorna's, it framed her face and came to a point just above her chin. It was russet colored, but when Wanda wore it Lorna imagined that her hair would tint it red.

"Just think about it," she said.

The door opened and her father walked in. He was already kitted out, and he jerked his head towards the door.

"We're going to have to head to the school," he said, "Charles thinks he can at least find Raven with Cerebro."

"Right," Lorna said, "Just saying goodbye."

Her father nodded and paused. He looked at them all and chuckled.

"I never thought I would see you all in the same room like this," he said, "I can't tell you how good it looks."

"Just make sure to come back to it," her mother said.

Her father walked over and kissed Susanna.

"We both will."

He looked down at Anya and ruffled her hair. She responded by wrapping her arms around her legs. Anya was still so short for her age. Her father motioned to Lorna and Wanda, who walked over and joined in.

"Peter, get over here," Wanda said, her voice muffled.

"I don't do hugs."

"Get over here," Wanda repeated.

Peter sighed and joined them. Her father gave another short nod after a moment and then pulled away. Lorna followed him, giving her family one last look before they left the room.

"Wanda and Peter are excellent people," her father said.

He sighed.

"You can probably say I-told-you-so right now," he said.

"I'll save that for later," Lorna said, "For right now I'm only really feeling two things."

He looked at her, his eyebrow raised.

"Which are?"

"Happiness that everything's working out with them," she replied, "And the gut-churning need to throw the people who took my friends and fiancé through a window."

"Good," her father said, "Me too."

* * *

Peter watched Erik and Lorna go. Anya was yawning and Susanna walked over to the other side of the room to tuck her in. He gave the two of them a thoughtful look.

"Wanda?" he murmured.

"Yeah?" she asked.

He began picking at his fingernails.

"They really meant it, don't they?" he asked, "They really want us."

"They do," Wanda said, "It feels...you're the only one who's ever wanted me without wanting what I could do for you. Until them, and they barely know us. It's strange, but I like it."

"Me too," said Peter.

He stopped picking at his nails and pulled out his goggles.

"I saved Lorna's life tonight," he said, "Or at least saved her some pain. Starting to think that she might be right. Maybe I can make a difference."

"She told us to give it some thought," Wanda said.

"Sure, but I'm giving something else some thought right now," Peter said, "Because, when I was out there, I kept thinking about how she was my sister and stuff. How family should look after each other."

His sister gave him a speculative look.

"Last time I heard that tone was when you stole that guy's wallet at school," she said.

"Yeah, I know," Peter said, "I just think that this is our family too. We should protect it."

"Peter-"

"I'd need your help," he said.

"Whatever hare-brained scheme you're thinking of, I don't want to be involved," she said.

"Come on," Peter said, "I know you want to help them as much as I do."

She bit her lip.

"Just what were you thinking?"

He grinned.

* * *

"Ya know this is a terrible idea, don't ya?"

Charles sighed as he walked towards Cerebro. He was grateful that Hank had managed to put it under the school: it kept it away from so many prying eyes. Going back to the school had been fraught with many complications, but at least this was easy to do.

At least, it had been until Logan had followed him inside.

"Logan, please, I need to find my sister," he said.

"I told ya why Lorna can't come," Logan said.

"Have you ever tried to convince Lorna to do something that she didn't want to?" Charles said, turning to him, "Especially when she believes she's right, when her father is on her side?"

"No," Logan said, "Because by the time I joined the X-men, she'd been dead for nearly twenty years!"

Charles closed his eyes and looked away.

"We need ta save two lives ta make this work," Logan said, "They can't get Raven's DNA, and they can't kill Lorna because of what her father'll do. We have one object secured. Not the other one. We're taking steps back with this."

"You think I don't know that?" Charles asked.

He ran a hand through his hair.

"I have to make the best decision for my team though," he said, "Lorna's right. We're barely a full team, but in the very least she needs to be there. Having two metal benders will-"

"Ensure that her father might get ta see her die," Logan said, "Try ta see the bigger picture."

"The bigger picture is that things have changed!" snapped Charles.

He pointed an accusing finger at Logan.

"You said yourself that things had changed, so don't deny it," he said, "And from what you told me, I can figure out some. Susanna never woke up: she's awake now. Raven and the rest never went to that facility. Lorna and Peter were supposed to get captured-"

"Peter never got captured," Logan said.

"But Lorna, Lorna did?" asked Charles.

Logan sighed.

"Yeah."

"But her brother rescued her," Charles said, "All of this means something."

"Doesn't mean that things are fixed," said Logan.

"No, it doesn't," Charles said.

He looked at Cerebro.

"But I have to have faith in the people who are fighting alongside me," he said.

"I've seen what happens when ya put ya faith in Magneto," Logan said.

"He's not that man," Charles said, "However you know him in the future, he's not that man."

"Not yet."

Charles sank down into the chair in front of Cerebro. He ran his hands over the board, his fingers coming to rest on the helmet in front of him. Perhaps he was making a bad decision. Perhaps he should just lock Lorna and Erik up somewhere until the fight was over, taking his chances with what few members of his team he had.

"Maybe you're right," he admitted, "Maybe I am a fool for hoping."

Charles picked up the helmet and turned it back and forth. Even now he could feel the doubts start to creep in.

"Logan, what's my son like?" he asked.

"What?"

"In the future, what's he like? Regretful, sad, burdened?" he asked, "Is David overwrought, in pain? Is he hopeless, his whole world ashes since his youth?"

Were his decisions going to guarantee that bitter future for his son?

"He's kind of all of those things," he said, "But also...damn."

"What?"

Logan just shook his head.

"Nothing."

"I will read your mind," Charles said.

Logan gave him a bitter grin.

"He's still strong. Still fightin," he said.

"And my actions could ensure that he always will be," Charles said.

He looked over at Logan.

"I don't really know what to do," he said.

Logan didn't answer. Charles began to wonder how easy it would be to go into Lorna and Erik's minds and quietly make them fall asleep for a few hours.

"When I met ya, I was a damn wreck. Ya gave a crazy guy with claws in his hands a chance because...just because," Logan said, "Ya were one of those people who never gave up. It's why we've survived so damn long in the future."

"What are you saying?" Charles asked.

"I'm sayin that maybe ye're right," he said, "Maybe ya need ta..."

He shook his head.

"Ya told me once that if we couldn't win the right way, we couldn't win at all," Logan said, "Kinda a hard concept for a guy like me ta grasp, but that doesn't mean it's a bad one."

"And in this case?" Charles asked, "When so many lives depend on what I do?"

"I dunno," said Logan, "I've followed ya inta hell once. I can do it again. But either way ye're gonna be the one leading."

Charles took a shuddering breath. He put the helmet on and began the search for Raven. Logan's words weren't comforting, but he had some time before he made a decision. That time was rapidly running out though, and he knew it.


	28. Chapter 28

April 22, 1968

"Alright," Raven said, helping Azazel to his feet, "God, you weigh a ton."

He rolled his eyes. It had been fairly easy to find someone with the appropriate key card. She'd done a bit more shifting and swiped a few more badges. Now she had several in her possession, and she had the feeling that the last one she'd nabbed would open Azazel's collar as well as his cell.

She just hoped that no one went into the facility's basement any time soon. It had been the only place big enough to hide all of the unconscious guards.

"Now for the collar-" she began.

_Raven?_

Raven gasped and held the side of her head.

"Devochka?"

"My brother's calling me," she said, "Just, a minute."

_I'm here Charles_, she thought, setting Azazel down.

_Thank God. Are you alright?_

_I managed to shift into one of Trask's goons before he started carting everyone away,_ she thought, _I know where Alex and Todd are, but I can't get at them. I think I have a solution to that though._

_Which is?_

_You might want to see this through my eyes,_ Raven said.

She looked over at Azazel. Raven felt a slight prickle behind her eyes before it withdrew.

_Are you quite mad?_

_Charles, I know what it looks like,_ she thought, _But he was a prisoner here._

_The man is a murderer!_

_Understood,_ Raven said, _But he's also a teleporter, and for some reason I didn't think that he deserved to be chained up and bated like a bear. Charles, they did a number on him._

She could almost hear her brother's chiding sigh. Raven was getting sick of him treating her like she was a child.

_Fine,_ Charles thought, _Just...be careful alright?_

_I will be,_ Raven thought, _Are you all coming?_

_We're just getting ready to set out,_ Charles thought,_ I wanted to see if I could find you. You are all are close to the Institute, but without the Blackbird things are going to be a little slower._

_When will you be here? _Raven thought.

_Perhaps an hour. Hank did some work on these engines._

_I can try to meet you at a certain point,_ thought Raven, _I'm not sure about the landmarks around here though._

There was a pause, and she knew that Charles was thinking.

_Try to get them to the roof,_ he thought, _That should be recognizable by all of us. We have several people who can fly._

_They have robots that can hover._

_I'm aware, sadly,_ Charles thought, _What we need to do is get out of there as quickly as possible before they even know we're gone. Under no circumstances are you to take any unnecessary risks._

_I am more than capable of-_

_Raven, I know you're not a child,_ thought Charles, _And you're right: I don't want you hurt because I love you. But there's another reason too. We've heard reports that they are currently developing a way to make those robots adapt to any mutant's mutation. They're looking into mutant's DNA to see how it can be done._

She felt sick.

_You mean...if they catch me..._

_Yes,_ Charles thought, _We need you to stay out of the worst fighting. No matter what happens Raven, you can't be captured, and you can't be hurt. And for once it's not just my protective nature talking._

Raven managed a smile.

_I've got you_, she said, _Just...tell me when you get close._

_I know your mind. I'll be able to find it._

_I'll see you soon Charles, _Raven thought.

_So will I. Stay safe. _

She felt Charles leave her mind. She breathed in and looked at Azazel. He was giving her a speculative look.

"Your brother, he is telepath?" he asked.

"Yes," Raven said.

Azazel shrugged.

"Did not know mutation goes to both siblings," he said.

"It's not like that," she muttered, bending to put his arm over her shoulders, "I'm adopted."

He raised his eyebrows and Raven took out the key card that she hoped would work.

"Don't you dare leave me here as soon as I get you out," she said, "You owe me."

He gave her another speculative look before nodded.

"Da," he said, "I do."

She tapped the key card to Azazel's collar. The collar unbuckled. Raven took it off and tossed it onto the ground. A few wires sparked as it lay there and she glared at it.

"Filthy thing," she said.

"You just saw and hate," Azazel said, "Four years for me. Your hate is nothing."

He smiled.

"Feel as though I can breathe again."

"Good," Raven said, "Because now it's time to rescue Alex and Todd."

Azazel cracked his neck.

"Just tell me where are," he said.

* * *

Alex had fully regained his faculties by the time he started to feel hungry. He knew that he would have to parcel out that feeling. He didn't know how long he was going to be without food, and he had to prepare for the worst.

The first thing he'd tried to do was blast the door down. Instead there had been a beeping and he'd ended up with a headache. It was then that he noticed the collar around his neck and he silently swore. Whatever was around his neck was blocking his powers.

He cursed Trask for the millionth time and began looking for any weaknesses in the construction of the cell. He had just started to do a thorough inspection of the hinges when he heard a soft bang from the other end of the hallway.

"What was that?" Todd asked.

"Get back," said Alex.

"Do you know what it was?" asked Todd.

Alex didn't respond, but yes, he knew exactly what it was. He'd had a few nightmares about that noise, of being pulled from place to place without knowing how it happened or where he was. He didn't understand what it was doing here, but he most certainly didn't trust it.

A minute later he saw a soldier come down the hall, half supporting Azazel as he moved. It made for an odd scene.

"What the hell?" Alex asked.

The soldier turned to him and, for a moment, the eyes flickered gold.

"Raven, you are awesome," said Alex.

"This makes this the second time I've disguised myself as military personnel in the past forty eight hours to save your ass," Raven said, "You'd better be grateful."

"I am," Alex said.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Azazel smirk.

"Just curious what that asshole is doing here with you," he said.

"He's another prisoner," Raven said, "And until you all develop the ability to teleport, he's going to be incredibly useful getting us out of here. He's not going to be the only one helping us though."

Alex's eyes lit up. So Peter and Lorna had made it back. They were going to come for them, and things were going to work out. He put a hand on Todd's shoulder as Raven began scanning a key card on the door.

"Looks like I didn't need a plan after all," Alex said.

"You could come up with a back up plan," Raven said, trying key card after key card, "So far all we need to do is get up to the roof. They're going to pick us up there, and luckily they won't know we're gone for hours."

Todd got up next to him, touching the collar around his neck.

"Do you have something for this?" he asked.

"How do you think I got this guy out?" Raven asked, jerking her head towards Azazel, "I just need to figure out which one of these damn cards works for this cell."

The frustration in her voice made Alex pause. He noticed then that she only had a few cards left. She flicked her eyes up to them and he gave her a look of understanding.

"None of them are working, are they?" he asked.

"You might be too new here for any of the cards to have access to you," Raven said, frustrated, "Azazel, could you-?"

"So soon after last?" asked Azazel, "I have not done this for four years! I will end up in middle of bars."

Alex wanted to say that he didn't see how that was a bad thing, but he bit the comment back. Saying things like that wasn't going to help the situation, and his first priority had to be getting out of there.

His eyes zoomed in on Azazel's unshackled neck. Maybe his study of the door's hinges had had a purpose after all.

"Well, I do actually have a plan for that."

She cocked her head.

"Which is?"

"Give me the card you used for Azazel," Alex said, "I can probably blast the lock if I have my mutation. It's just a basic one, the door should just swing open once it's gone."

"That's a pretty big should," said Raven.

"I know doors, and I know door locks," said Alex, "You know I used to rob places, right?"

"You did what?" Todd asked.

"I had a troubled youth," Alex said.

"You're still in your youth!"

"I kinda grew up when I was seventeen," he said, "But Raven, come on. I can get the lock off."

"Probably burn whole place down," Azazel muttered.

Alex gave him a filthy look.

"Things change, and my mutation is one of them," he said.

Azazel gave him a piercing look, which Alex returned evenly. Raven flipped through the cards until she came to one. She nodded to herself and passed it through the bars of the cell, and Alex took it.

"I don't even know if this one's going to get you free," she said.

"If it doesn't, then we'll talk about another plan," Alex said.

He pressed the key card up to his neck. For a moment nothing happened. Then there was a slight clicking noise, and the collar came off. Todd punched the air and Alex took the collar off. He flung it at the wall before handing the key card to Todd.

As Todd pressed it to his collar Alex looked at the lock. He put one of his fists in front of him and summoned up a blast of energy. It hit the lock and the lock broke, causing the door to swing forwards.

When it did an alarm went off. Alex cursed and hurried out of the cell, Todd tossing his collar aside and following Alex.

"Smooth," Raven snapped.

"Not really our first priority right now," Alex said.

The door opened on the other side of the cell. Alex directed both of his fists towards them and sent several bolts of light towards them. They hit the ground and Alex looked back at Raven and Azazel.

"We need to teleport out of here," he said.

"Three at once?" Azazel asked.

"For a guy who she didn't have to free, you're certainly acting like a prima donna," Alex snapped.

"How about we stop fighting and get a bit more concerned about the freaks who run this place?" Raven said.

Her voice came out sharp and demanding. It was like getting scolded.

"As far as I can tell, the plan is still the same," Raven said, "We still need to get to the roof. When Charles contacts me, I'll tell him what's going on down here. Until then we still need to get up there. If Azazel can't teleport right now, then we're going to have to give him some more time."

She gestured to Alex, her expression still ablaze and irritated. When she did Alex caught Azazel staring at her. Granted, everyone was staring at her, but this was different. The look on his face was almost adoring.

Creepy.

"Any ideas about how to do that?" she asked.

Alex swallowed and looked at the hall.

"Todd, bring up the rear," he said, "I'll bring up the front. If we see more than one guard, then we call each other. We give it ten minutes before we teleport."

He looked at Azazel.

"Think you can handle that?" he asked.

"Da," Azazel spat.

"Good," Alex said, "Then let's get moving."


	29. Chapter 29

August 22, 1968

It seemed strange to be going to a mission in a truck. Lorna had gotten used to the soft hum of the Blackbird, of its compact, safe, and speedy way of transporting people from one place to another.

The Blackbird was gone now. Sure, Hank could build another one. He'd been able to rebuild one after what had happened in Cuba after all. She supposed that it was different in some ways, but it had been rebuilt bigger and better. She was sure that the next one would be better too, but she would still miss the old one.

She glanced over her shoulder. Logan was riding behind her. Her father and Charles had quietly explained what Logan was doing there, where he was from. It had been difficult to believe, but her father and Charles were no fools. There would have had to have been good, hard evidence before they would've believed that.

Charles murmured to Hank and Sean before clambering towards the back. He glanced at Sean and Darwin, who immediately got up and headed towards the front. Lorna frowned. What was going on?

"I need to speak with you two," he said, "Privately. And don't worry."

He gestured to the others before putting his fingers briefly to his temples.

"They can't hear."

Lorna looked over at her father.

"Chuck," Logan said, his voice rough.

Charles shook his head.

"It's the best way."

"You agreed," said Logan, "You both agreed that I shouldn't-"

"Shouldn't what?" Erik demanded, "What did you agree on?"

Logan looked over at Lorna. She tilted her chin up proudly: she still hated the way he'd looked at her when she was drugged. Yet, she couldn't really see any condescension now that she got a good view. All she could see was a look of loss and pity.

"I can't," Logan said.

"Then I will," said Charles.

"Don't."

Charles sighed.

"In the future," he said, "you trust me. I would ask for that trust now."

Logan exhaled roughly and then looked at Lorna.

"Your father told me something when I was in the future," Logan said, "He told me you die during a fight between the X-men and Trask."

Lorna felt her breath freeze in her lungs.

"What?" Erik said, raising his voice.

"It's different now," Logan admitted, "But that's not a guarantee that things'll be different kid. I think you're gonna die tonight."

She closed her eyes. Lorna had never really thought she was going to die. Oh, she'd been close to dying. She could admit that much. But she had been looking for ways out up until the last second. Even when Shaw had commanded her death while she lay helpless, Emma holding her mind in an iron fist, she hadn't really thought that death was an option.

Lorna had always looked forward to the future. She was going to graduate college soon and marry Alex. Lorna figured that she would be a good teacher at Westchester one day. She'd see Anya grow up, maybe even teach a few of her classes. Now she'd even guide Peter and Wanda through their classes, and her mother and father would be behind her the whole time. One day she would have children of her own, and all the while she'd fight for a cause that she believed in with every fiber of her being.

It wasn't going to happen now.

"You..."

Her father's vicious voice was like a bucket of cold water on her ears. He reached out and took her hand. It felt like it was gripped in a vice.

"How long have you been keeping this from me?" demanded Erik, glaring at Charles, "If you'd told me one hour ago, then I would have never consented to let her come!"

"We thought it would be best-" Charles said.

"What, you and this stranger?" Erik snapped, "Whatever you are to us in the future Logan, here and now you are a stranger!"

"It had nothing to do with me. The decision was made by you and him," said Logan, "In the future."

"Stop saying that like it's a valid excuse!" Erik hissed, "Stop saying that like...you don't understand-"

"You think I haven't lost people?" snapped Logan, "I've lost more friends than-"

"She's not my friend!" Erik snarled, "She's my daughter. She's not dying tonight."

"But I might," Lorna said.

She opened her eyes. Her lungs still felt like they were filled with frozen air.

"You're not going to," Erik said, "Lorna, there's still time to turn around. There's still time to change this."

She gave a bitter smile.

"No there isn't," Lorna said.

"Lorna-"

"If I do that dad," she said, "then you'll only have two people who can fly. Trask has four prisoners we need to rescue. Two trips costs us time we don't have, and even if we could do it with two, then you would need someone defending the position who could zip off."

"There's a teleporter," Erik said, "Raven freed him."

"A teleporter running on half power, if that," Lorna said, "He's been locked up for the past four years. How well do you think he's going to be able to go around teleporting multiple people off the roof? Do you think that he can even teleport himself off? I can't..."

She shook her head. There were hot tears running down her cheeks now, but she could barely feel them.

"I can't risk my friends like that, and I can't risk him like that," said Lorna, "I can't do it dad."

"Yes you can," Erik said, "Think of your mother, sisters, your brother, your friends-"

"I am thinking of them. And I can't," Lorna said, "Not after everything you've taught me. Not after everything I've fought for, with everything I love behind me. You told us all once that suicide was selfish, but you never told us what sacrifice was. But that's okay, because I already know."

She titled her chin up, still feeling terrified.

"I watched my mother do it," she said, "And I know it's not selfish. It's love. And I love them all dad. I love them all so much and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I didn't give them the best chance that I could. And I wouldn't be able to live with the rest of the people I love knowing just how badly I let them down."

Her father cupped her face with his hands, his expression desperate.

"Lorna, I'm begging you. Don't ask my to watch my daughter die," Erik pleaded.

"I'm not asking you," said Lorna, "I'm telling you."

There was a moment when all she could see was despair reflected in her father's eyes. Then he grabbed her and held her close. Lorna dug her hands into his back as the tears flowed freely. God, this hurt.

"Tell everyone I love them," she said.

"Tell them yourself," Erik said.

She managed a broken chuckle before closing her eyes. The fear was still there, rising in her throat and threatening to overwhelm her.

"Dad, if I die tonight," she said, "I want you to remember what I said. I want you to remember that, because that's what I believe. That's what you taught me, and that's what I want my siblings to know. Mom already knows it, Anya too I think, but I want Peter and Wanda to know that there's strength in sacrifice when it's for something you love."

Her voice caught.

"I want them to know I didn't just leave them."

Her father didn't answer at first. He just held her tighter.

"Of course," he said finally.

* * *

April 22, 2008

Alex had meant it when he'd said that he knew there were hundreds of other ships out there. Storm was only a few feet away from him, trying to strike them down with lightening. Soon they would be close enough for his powers.

Scott drew level with him. Alex tried not to look over at his brother. He couldn't afford to remember just how young his brother was. He wasn't a child, no, but he wasn't as old as he deserved to be. His brother had deserved to die old and married to the love of his life with his children mourning him. He'd been close to that once.

Alex had been close to it as well. He'd held that future in his arms, whispered in its ears, stroked its hair. Sometimes he would wake up in the middle of the night, her name still on his lips but alone.

He could barely remember the year after she died. It all seemed like a blur. He remembered Erik telling him that they needed to avenge her, Charles telling him to be a better man, and Alex just wanting to die.

It made him feel weak and ashamed. She should've been the one to survive. Lorna was stronger than he was, she would've been able to pick up the pieces afterwards. She would've been able to hold them all together. He was sure of it. Instead Alex had watched weakly as Erik had left, Anya sobbing and screaming for him to stay.

When he'd finally found Scott he'd hoped that he could spare his brother that. He'd watched him approvingly with Jean, feeling contentment that it would work out for his brother. Instead that dream had turned to ashes too.

The ships were close now, almost within his range. He saw Sunfire power up Bishop. His own fists lit up, trying to gather as much power as he possibly could in preparation for the oncoming storm. It wouldn't be enough, he knew, but perhaps it would finally be a death worth having.

The names were flowing fast in his mind as he readied himself. They were all gone now, Lorna, Hank, Carly, Sean, Darwin, Anya, Wanda, Peter, Jean, Moira. There were others, countless others, even ones that he'd heard screaming in his brief but painful incarceration by the Sentinels.

Erik had told him, a long time ago, that Lorna should be avenged. Now there were more deaths, people whose heroic and sacrificial deaths cried out, not for revenge, but for justice. Alex couldn't give it to them: there was no justice in this world. If there had been any justice then they wouldn't be standing there on that mountain, hunted for their very DNA, despised for what they were.

How had it even come to this? How had he gone from a teenager working towards his degree to a man fighting for time for a dying species? Somewhere along the way the path had been lost, and now it was gone.

"I've got your back."

Alex turned to Scott, surprised. He smiled though, putting his hand on his shoulder. They had long ago discovered that their powers didn't affect each other, so the glowing red light still circled his hands. It lit up Scott's face, showing him just how determined his little brother was.

He wished he didn't have to die that night.

"I know," he said.

He looked back at the ships. Just a little closer now.

"They just need time," Alex said.

"Do you really think this will work?" asked Scott.

Alex smiled now, feeling foolish.

"I've always believed in the Professor," he said, "Seems stupid to doubt him right before I die."

Scott chuckled.

"Yeah, it does," he said.

The ships were just about within range. Alex took his hand off Scott's shoulder. Scott put his hand up to his goggles.

"There is still something to look forward to though," Alex said softly.

"Oh?" Scott said.

"Yeah," Alex said.

His foolish smile grew, but he couldn't feel any mirth in it. Not anymore.

"One way or another, we're going to see them tonight," he said.

"Yes," Scott said, his voice barely a whisper, "Yes we are."

The ships came into range, and they began firing. One way or another, he would see his friends and fiancée again.


	30. Chapter 30

April 22, 1968

"How the hell did Trask get so many damn guards?" Alex demanded.

"Less talk, more shooting," Raven snapped.

Alex gritted his teeth. When had Raven gotten so snippy? Nonetheless, he fired off another few bolts at some guards that were coming up from a side entrance. Some came from a back entrance, and he saw Todd's tongue flicker out, grabbing a gun from their hands. There was a short spray of bullet fire, and Alex knew that the guards had fallen dead.

Alex didn't look back. They were in a war zone, and Todd was fighting like a soldier. He didn't know the ways that you could knock a man out so you didn't have to kill him, didn't know how to effectively disarm a man. He couldn't fault him for fighting like he'd been trained to, especially when Alex couldn't be in two places at once and it was them or Trask's goons.

A door loomed up ahead of them. It was a fire escape, but when he tried the handle it had been locked.

"Someone's violating health codes," he muttered.

He stood back and sent a blast at the lock. The door swung open.

"Hah, this time no alarm," Azazel said.

"He's really getting on my nerves," Alex said, checking the hallway.

"He's right though," said Raven.

Alex thought about arguing, but decided against it. There would be plenty of time to argue with Raven when they were safe and sound inside the Institute. Instead he stepped into the fire escape and waved the two of them up.

He moved as fast as he could, mindful that Raven and Azazel would slow them down. When he reached the landing he stopped and looked down and then looked up. Most of the floors were below them, which meant that most of the doors were below them and people would be coming behind them.

Alex withdrew his head and waited for all of them to catch up so they could regroup.

"Todd, we need to switch places," he said.

Todd nodded, not even bothering to ask why. This was Todd after all, his friend and fellow soldier. He knew how to take orders. Todd hurried in front of the group and Raven and Azazel followed him. Alex stepped behind them, keeping an eye on the landings behind him.

He didn't have long to wait. A door further down burst open and two soldiers trained their guns on them. He sent two blasts, which sent them to the ground. It lit up the fire escape briefly, showing him just how many staircases there were, both above and below.

They weren't too far from the roof. They just needed a few more minutes to get up there. Once there they needed to block the door that led from the building and create some sort of defensible position. Alex didn't know what materials they could find on the roof to make a barricade or cover, but they would have to find something.

Several doors slammed open. He opened fire on them, but there were too many of them charging upwards. With every one that he took down, four more seemed to take their place. They weren't shooting yet, perhaps wanting to spare Trask's experiments, but they might lose their patience.

He was losing patience with himself as well. He could feel his body begin to get exhausted, tired of doing nothing but fight for the past few hours, receiving only a few short hours of rest in between.

He wasn't done yet though.

"Keep going!" he yelled, "I'll be there in a minute."

"We're not leaving you to-" Raven said.

"You won't be leaving me!" shouted Alex, "I have no intention of dying tonight!"

Alex didn't bother to see if they were confused. He put both of his hands out, focusing his powers as much as he was able on the staircase beneath him. The heat from the blast began to melt the metal. He took a deep breath and moved his arms forward.

The entire metal staircase began to melt. It dripped down on the guards beneath it, their screams echoing through the fire escape. Alex released the power and began limping up the stairway, his heart feeling like it was about to explode.

Further up he heard gunfire. It gave him a brief shot of adrenaline, sending him up the next staircase after the small party. When he caught up with them Todd was stepping over a few dead bodies. His eyes met Alex's.

"Jesus Summers, you look like hell," he said.

"I could say the same about you," Alex panted, "How much further?"

"One more staircase," Todd said, "The we just have to get the door blocked."

"Won't be too much of a problem," Alex said.

He pulled himself the rest of the way up. The cool morning air whipped around his face, giving him temporary relief from the aches and pains that his body bore so angrily. He immediately shut the door after him.

Alex put his hand to the lock and summoned up light. It melted the door handle and the lock, all but welding the door in place.

"Anything we can use to barricade it?" he panted.

"On it," Todd said.

He ran over to some shipping crates. He began moving them in front of the door. Alex moved to help, but Raven blocked him. He almost asked where Azazel was, only to see that she'd propped Azazel against the rim of the building.

"You're shot," she said, "Take a few minutes to breathe. Sit down."

Alex wanted to argue, but the burning pain in his back told him that he needed to shut up and listen. So he complied, sitting down a few feet from Azazel and taking deep gulps of the cool air. He closed his eyes as he heard the crates get dragged to the door.

Now that he had a moment, he could see a helicopter pad not too far away. Was this where they shipped things out? From the crates it looked like it was as good an answer as any.

"They'll be coming soon," Todd said, "We need to get some sort of cover."

"The other crates will have to work," Raven said, "Come on."

There were some more scraping noises. He ventured to open his eyes and saw that Raven and Todd were building a makeshift fort around them. They had used the back railing as a starting wall and built up the other sides. There was even a choke point in front of the door to the roof.

Not a bad idea.

"She is something, da?"

Alex glanced over at Azazel.

"Really don't wanna talk to ya right now," he said.

Azazel shrugged and leaned back even further. A thumping noise began on the door that led to the roof. He got shakily to his feet and crouched in front of one of the stronger walls. Todd crouched down next to him.

"They'll get caught in the choke point," he said, wedging his gun between a crack in the boxes, "I have some more ammunition, but not a lot, you know? I won't be able to hold them off for more than a minute."

He put his hand on Alex's shoulder.

"You take that minute and rest, okay?" Todd asked.

"Jus a minute, and then I'm in," Alex muttered.

The door broke inward. Todd pulled the trigger and shot down the first three guards who came through. Bodies fell over the boxes, hemming the guards even further in. There was some more shooting, and then Todd swore.

"I'm out," he said.

Alex got to his feet and sent a blast towards the guards. They were surprised, but he kept firing until they all slumped down. Alex did the same thing then, leaning up against the metal crates. Todd jumped over the barrier and returned a moment later with two guns.

"Give it to her," Alex said, gesturing to Raven.

"I've never fired one of these before," Raven said doubtfully.

"First time for everything I guess," Todd said.

He looked over at Alex.

"What do we do now?" he asked.

"Just wait," Alex murmured, "Not more we can do. Gotta hold out until they come."

For a few minutes there was blessed silence. Everything was quiet and soft and Alex felt himself start to drift off to sleep. He cursed himself for being so tired, but he knew he had fallen asleep. He had to be dreaming because he was back in the damn library, surrounded by his friends and fiancée.

A rumbling woke him up. He pushed himself back to his feet, the pain of reality taking over him. He didn't see any guards coming through the door, but he knew that, somewhere, a terrible second round was beginning.

Strange noises filled the air, and then three robots landed on the roof. Their eyes honed in on them. Alex could feel his lungs burning, felt how weak his powers were now. He'd be able to melt one, he was sure of that, but he'd probably pass out before he managed it on the second one.

One of the robot's heads peeled away, showing a loudspeaker.

"Now then," Trask's voice said, "You've had your fun, and as I said earlier, I would prefer not to kill you all. But it appears that this is something that I have to do right now. I would highly suggest that you convince me otherwise."

"Meaning?" Todd whispered.

"Means mu'dak wants us to beg," snarled Azazel.

Alex cleared his throat.

"Raven," he said, "My voice is kinda weak. Feel like telling him our collective feelings for me?"

"Oh, I don't mind," Raven said.

She got up and crossed her arms.

"Alright asshole," she said, "How about this. I want you and the rest of your geek friends to leave my damn race alone and go play with your Star Trek fantasies somewhere else. Good enough for you, you filthy murdering bastard?"

There was a pause.

"Not quite what I was looking for," Trask said.

"Really?" Raven asked, "I'm surprised."

There was a sigh. Raven's eyes zoned out for a moment before she stood up taller.

"Unfortunately, I will have to keep you alive. Your shape shifting abilities really will be very useful."

"Have fun trying to take me alive," Raven snapped.

Two other robots rose into the air, hovering around them. Alex looked at Todd and clapped his hand on his shoulder. There was a sinking feeling inside him, but there was something that needed to be said.

"You were a good soldier you know," he said, "Good friend, good man."

Todd gave him a weak smile.

"Hey, I've always just been a follower," he said, "This time I just had someone cool to follow."

Alex got to his feet shakily, trying to gather up some light. A moment later a high-pitched shriek filled the air. Alex clapped his hands over his ears and fell to the ground. His eyes were watering, but he could see that some of the robot's metal skins were peeling away.

Sean really had improved with his powers. When it stopped he saw shards of metal flying up and imbedding into the robots, who had begun firing lasers back. A moment later Erik, Lorna, and Sean came into view, each of them carrying someone else.

A smile came to his lips. God, he was seeing them again. He was seeing them all again. Hank and Darwin moved into the thick of the fight, peeling off from the people who had carried them. He wasn't sure who the person with Erik was though. The whiskers on that guy were seriously intense.

Lorna and Erik reached out with their arms and the crates started flying through the air. Hank raced up to them, grabbing Alex. He started when he saw Azazel, but simply set his face on an intensely displeased expression.

"The Professor told me he was here, but I didn't quite believe it," he said.

"Believe it," Azazel snapped.

"Just tell us how you plan to get down from here," Raven said.

Hank let out a short whistle. Lorna abandoned her post and ran over. She grinned at Alex as she did so, but it seemed a little sad.

"You're still alive," she said, "Good."

"Wanted to see you again," he said.

Her grin became a little sadder and Todd moved up nervously.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I really don't want to die here," he said.

"Neither do I," Lorna said, "Just follow me."

* * *

_**A/N: **Only four more chapters to go. _


	31. Chapter 31

August 22, 1963

The initial shock of the robots at new targets didn't last for long. Lorna could feel them stepping up their attack, but she had to get everyone down. Charles was waiting for them in the truck below, and she could feel precious minutes ticking away.

They ticked in time with her heart. There was a frantic pace to it now, as she was only too aware that every beat could be her last. She put Alex's arm around her shoulder and gestured to the rest of them. Hank moved next to her, hurtling boxes and giving her some measure of cover.

Alex turned his head.

"Might not be the time, but..."

He leaned over and kissed her cheek. She wanted to scream at him, because this could be the last time he did that. Lorna couldn't let him know that though, no matter how much it burned her inside.

"I'm so happy to see you," he said.

"Me too," Lorna said.

She tightened her grip on him as they walked towards the edge of the roof. Everything was ticking down, and she could feel Logan and her father's eyes on her. Lorna passed her father and the two of them stood on the edge of the roof.

"Raven, pass Azazel to the person behind you," her father said tightly.

"Yes, but I-" Raven said.

"Don't argue," her father snapped, "Just do it."

Raven looked affronted, but she did so. Lorna could easily guess the reason for her father's prickliness. She could feel it wriggling beneath her skin as well. God, she felt as though it were all crumbling even though she was still standing.

"Azazel," her father said, his voice disdainful, "Teleport him to the van that's waiting below. You can watch where my daughter goes to get the location."

"Da," Azazel said, his tone tight as well.

Her father gave a derisive smile.

"Don't be self-righteous," he said, "You nearly killed my youngest daughter. The fact that I'm not killing you now is a remarkable bit of self-restraint on my part."

Lorna cringed at his tone. Although she understood his feelings on that night, it seemed a little more violent than she was comfortable with. There wasn't time for a long discussion on his methods though. So she stepped to the edge of the roof and jumped off, clutching Alex.

She grasped for the magnetic lines around her and allowed them to float her towards the truck. Charles opened the door and Alex got in, resting his head against the back of the truck and taking deep breaths gratefully.

Lorna looked at him for a moment more. If she was going to die tonight, then it would be likely that she would die up there, on that roof, in a matter of minutes. If that was true, then she wouldn't see Alex again. And wasn't going to leave Alex without a word.

So she grabbed his head and kissed him, hard. He spluttered in surprise, but kissed her back with an equal passion. She could smell sweat and dirt on him, feel the way his hands threaded through her hair, the feel of his face beneath hers.

She pulled away and touched her forehead to his.

"I love you," she said.

"I...I love you too," Alex said, looking confused.

Now he was worried. She could see it in his eyes. Lorna had to give him some sort of justification, couldn't let him know of the information she'd received on her own death.

"Don't you ever let these people capture you again," she said.

"Duly noted," Alex laughed.

She let go of him and looked up at Charles. He was giving her a pitying, but proud look.

_You're so strong Lorna,_ he thought, _You're...you've grown so much._

_Thank you,_ she thought.

She walked outside of the truck and looked at the roof. Her father was about to come down and she was about to take his place. She could feel the fear building in her stomach, feel it weakening her step, her resolve.

However, she had meant everything that she had told her father. If she was going to die that night, then she was going to go out like who she was. Lorna was the daughter of a tortured but unbendable man, a compassionate woman. She was the sister of a sweet little girl, of two amazing twins. She had wonderful friends, a loving fiancé.

She was a mutant, a fighter. Lorna was an X-man, and she was damned if she was going to go out cowering or run away when there was a job to be done. So she grabbed the magnetic lines and headed upwards to the roof to give her father and the rest cover.

Her eyes briefly met her father's.

"I love you," she mouthed.

Her father did the same and she turned to the fight. It was time to be strong.

* * *

The area underneath the benches of the trunk had been uncomfortable. Peter knew that he shouldn't really complain, since they hadn't actually been meant for people to hide inside them. The compartments had been a touch of his sister, as had his stepmother and half sister falling asleep so soon into the night. They had been soundproof, and it had been difficult to get out of them.

The doors that led to the ground had been a good touch as well. Peter was cramped, but he was able to crawl under there and meet his sister. Wanda had put on the headgear that Lorna had given her. It made her face look sharper.

"This is a dumb idea," she said.

"Maybe," Peter said, "But we can help. You know we can."

His sister gave him a searching glare.

"Are you trying to prove yourself somehow?" she asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Peter asked.

"What it sounds like," Wanda said, "Are you trying to do something to fit into this family?"

"I'm not-"

"Because that's not what they're asking for," said Wanda, "They are giving us this love unconditionally. Un-con-dit-ion-ally."

He hated it when she mocked him.

"That means that we can't earn it," Wanda said, "They give it, we accept and return it. Doing something to make yourself worthy of it only cheapens it."

Peter made a face.

"When did you get so sappy?" he asked.

"Shut up," Wanda said, "I don't care what you call me, but if that's what this is-"

"No, it's not," said Peter.

He put his goggles on. It was getting really uncomfortable crouching beneath the truck.

"I don't pretend to be as mushy as you are," Peter said, "But...I kinda like where this is going. I don't get it, but I'd like time to puzzle over it and try to figure out just what the hell it is. I can't do that if they're all dead."

His sister's eyes softened.

"Right," she said.

She peeked out from the bottom of the truck.

"What do you propose we do?" she asked.

"For now, nothing," he said, "Nothing except get into position."

"For what?" Wanda asked.

"To make sure that we are helpful," said Peter, "I'm not getting into a situation where I get tied up on a jet going to Vietnam. If we're not gonna be helpful, then I'd prefer not getting an earful from dad about it."

Wanda smiled.

"You called him dad," she said, "Not father, not Erik. Dad."

The smile turned mischievous. It reminded him of how she used to smile before they came to Westchester.

"Maybe you are as sappy as I am," she said.

"Shut up."

* * *

Erik wished that Lorna would just stay by him. She seemed to be constantly darting off somewhere. Even though he knew exactly what she was doing, the part she was playing in the grand scheme of things, it made his heart beat uncomfortably.

When she returned after leaving Alex on the bottom level, his heart did another uncomfortable skip. She was back up in the danger zone. He left along with Azazel to ensure that Raven and the strange boy managed to make it down to the truck.

Erik figured that he'd find out who the boy was fast enough. Whoever he was he seemed to be important enough to the rest to be with them, important enough to rescue. Of course, after seeing Azazel's presence he wasn't as confidence in Raven's powers of reasoning as he'd once been.

He got back up as quickly as he could. Other Sentinels were arriving. He saw Logan launch himself at one, ripping its head off. Its arms flailed blindly around and Logan stabbed his claws into its chest, ripping something out that looked like a battery.

Erik saw Lorna in the middle of the fight, throwing crates around. It was an oversight on Trask's part. The man was intelligent: brutal, cruel, but intelligent. He'd had the foresight to make the Sentinels out of a material other than metal. It seemed foolish to have ruined that by planning to ship them inside metal containers.

He threw up his own hands, making them bend and whirl. They stabbed Sentinels, running them through and sending them crashing to the ground. They sky was almost clear, and this nightmare was almost over.

"Magneto!"

He looked over. Hank was pointing to the sky.

"Incoming!"

Erik threw up several of the crates, but he could see that they were running out of them. He began recycling parts that he had used before, trying to take down as many Sentinels as he could using metal he had already bent, metal that his daughter had bent.

But he saw a few more coming in the distance. It looked like Trask had mobilized every Sentinel in his factory to come after them. Perhaps Trask felt that he had underestimated them in the past. It looked like he no longer felt that way.

_Erik, what is happening up there?_

_There are too damn many of them!_ Erik thought, _I know we hoped that we'd be able to do something decisive here, but we need to get out of here!_

_I'm ready down here. I'll tell the others. _

His friend's quick acquiescence soothed him. Erik began searching for metal in the space around him, but he could see that Lorna was using most of it to build a kind of wall that was pushing a group of Sentinels back. She was building something that would give them the time they needed to get off the roof. Clever girl.

He searched for more metal in the area. Erik could feel the very foundations beneath him, feel the way that metal was threaded through every building. He began pulling up the nearest metal, a drainpipe, and ripping it out of the building.

Erik slammed it into the nearest Sentinel. It ripped through him. The door to the fire escape opened, several guards coming through with guns. Erik pulled the metal back, ready to push them away, when the world went blurry around the edges.

The guards tripped backwards, guns firing up in the air. There was another blur and the guns were gone completely. One more and something that looked like silver duct tape had secured all of the guards to the ground.

He gaped as his son turned to him, sheepishly holding a roll of duct tape.

"Worked well enough on me," he said.

Erik stalked towards him, most thoughts leaving his mind. Peter's sheepish grin was becoming more frightened. Erik was getting ready to yell at him, ask him what he was doing saving his life when he had no training, when he was open to every kind of attack.

Then one of the soldiers got loose and aimed a gun at him. Peter heard the noise and turned, but for once his motions seemed slow and confused. Erik's weren't. He'd spent so much of his life around guns and the people who used them.

He shoved Peter out of the way. The bullet grazed his shoulder and Erik hissed in pain. He summoned a metal bar and sent it straight for the man's head, knocking him unconscious. He saw a trickle of blood. He hoped the bastard got a concussion for shooting at his son.

He looked at Peter.

"Are you alright?" he demanded.

Peter nodded, looking a little shaken.

"I should be asking you-" he said.

"Believe me when I say that I have had much worse," said Erik.

He got to his feet just as he heard a shattering noise. The wall that Lorna had been building to keep the Sentinels back exploded. Metal shrapnel went every which way. Erik moved the pieces out of his way as Lorna did, her hands over her head to protect it. The rest of the X-men were out of range, so he could be thankful for that.

What he couldn't be thankful for was the three Sentinels standing outside of the shattered wall. He could see that Lorna's hands were still over her head. She couldn't see, couldn't see them, and in his heart of hearts he knew what happened next.

She removed her hands as the first Sentinel fired, as Erik screamed her name and ran over. He heard Peter getting up, knew how fast his son was, but the world seemed so slow as the laser hit her in the stomach and she screamed.


	32. Chapter 32

April 22, 2008

The Sentinels had broken through. The ships were disgorging hundreds and hundreds of them. Alex saw Warpath dealing with a few in the corner, but he couldn't go over to him to give him aid. There just wasn't time, wasn't a clear path. Warpath would have to fight on his own for a while.

More Sentinels charged at them. Alex could see metal flying through the air, the work of a man he'd once thought would be his father-in-law. He sent a bolt at two of the charging Sentinels coming at them from the front while his brother blasted the ones from the side.

Somewhere he could hear a scream, but it wasn't Warpath. He looked up and saw a Sentinel toss Storm across the ground. She'd been stabbed, and from the look in her eyes it had been quick. A vision passed through his mind of a little girl who'd once been called Ororo, her white hair in braids, coming defiantly through the doors of the Institute with her head held high.

He shook his head and fired off another bolt. There was another name in his head now, another person who didn't have to fight any more. As always he heard a split second's siren beckoning him for the same fate, but not yet. Not when there was still a job to do.

So he kept firing, trying to pretend that he hadn't just seen a woman he'd known since she was a child die. He just had to pick a target, which wasn't difficult. For every Sentinel that was halted by his attack, three more came. He couldn't even take them down, not really. They healed too quickly. All he could do was stall.

There was a break and Alex looked towards Warpath. He could see that he was still up, still going strong. Alex shot bolts at the Sentinels that were coming his way, allowing Warpath to move to a better position.

Alex turned his head again and saw that Scott had moved a little away from him. He was firing from his goggles, but Alex saw that the wheel on the side that controlled them was beginning to stick. Even in their worst days they'd never been in a battle this long: they'd never known that it would do that for this long. The goggles were old too, and only Hank had known what the original design was.

He raced over to his brother just as the goggles stuck fully. Alex gave him some covering fire.

"Gonna hafta take the damn thing off," he said.

Scott gave him a horrified look and Alex just grinned. It was either that or die, so he kept grinning.

"Just open your eyes when I tell you," Alex said.

He fired off another few bolts, still trying to keep his concentration on Scott.

"Trust me," he said.

Scott nodded. He took off his goggles, his eyes tightly closed. Alex moved out of the way as the next row of Sentinels came.

"Now!" he yelled.

Scott dug his feet into the ground and opened his eyes. The row of Sentinels was blasted back and hurtled off the edge of the cliff. Alex smiled grimly. Scott's power, while dangerous to use raw, was so very potent and useful. It didn't burn like Alex's, but it sure packed a bigger punch.

"Close 'em!" Alex said.

His brother obeyed and Alex moved to his side. There were more shouts and screams now, but he couldn't distinguish voices and identities any more. The blood had run straight to his head, pounding and pulsing there. His breath was coming in thick pants.

_"Alex, I want you to listen to me very carefully. After thirty seconds, you pull this tab. Pull it as hard as you can. First on Scott's, then on yours. Ten seconds after you pull Scott's, you pull yours. Do you understand me? Do you understand me?"_

More Sentinels came, this time from both sides.

"Open your eyes!" Alex yelled, moving into position for the other group of Sentinels.

His brother sent out a blast, and Alex didn't hold back. He sent out several rings, watching as the fire sparked along the edges. It pushed them back, but they were healing. They would come back fire resistant, but he kept going.

One of them was cut to ribbons, and he heard the ones behind him getting closer. One Sentinel dodged his rings and moved forward. He jumped back as the Sentinel pounded his fist into the ground. The stones cracked beneath the pressure.

He moved behind it and thrust his hand out. Alex smiled and pushed a bolt through its head. The head was pushed right off its shoulders and it fell. Alex panted and got to his feet, looking back to where his brother was-

-just in time to see one of the Sentinels mimic Scott's powers and blast him into the opposite wall.

"Scott!" Alex screamed.

* * *

April 22, 1963

The seconds between his daughter's impalement and reaching her seemed like years. She hit the ground just before Erik reached her, some part of him subconsciously destroying the Sentinel that had dared harm her.

He knelt next to her and gathered her into his arms, trying to keep her injuries from getting worse. She looked so surprised, her eyes trying to focus on one thing, her breath coming in strange gasps.

Erik put his hand behind her head, turned her head so she would get the best shot at breathing.

"Lorna, Lorna, look at me," he said.

Her eyes rolled towards him and she opened her lips.

"Don't try to speak," he said, "Just breathe Lorna. I'll take care of this."

All around him he could hear the sounds of a fight. Something was going on, and he thought he saw red light. Alex? No. If it was Alex he would have run to Lorna. Did Alex even know what was happening? It didn't matter. He needed to focus on helping her.

His mouth was dry and his hand trembled as he looked at her wounds. The laser hadn't been hot enough to cauterize the wound, but it had been hot enough to cut right through. Erik could already tell that it had punctured her lung. He wasn't sure what else had punctured, but he knew that it was vital, knew that she could very well be drowning in her own blood right now.

Someone knelt next to him. At first he didn't pay attention, but then they spoke.

"Lorna?"

It was Peter. His voice was tremulous and scared. One of his hands reached towards her, a lost child trying to help.

"Give her some space," Erik snapped.

He didn't mean to be so snappish with his son, but he couldn't be distracted. His head went through the different situations, fighting to figure out what to do next. He didn't have very much first aide training, but he had to figure this out.

_Erik, what's going on? _

_Charles, go the hell away!_

The voice silenced and he tried to remember what to do. He couldn't move her too much: she'd bleed to death. The more Erik looked at her, the more he realized that moving to get aid would only accelerate the process.

It hit him with a terrible clarity then: there was no way out of this. There would be no last minute reprieve, no miracle fixes. She was dying in his arms. The phrase kept running through his head, over and over again. She was dying in his arms, she was dying in his arms-

"Dad..." she whispered.

"Shhhh," he said.

He bowed his head and gritted his teeth.

"She's...she's gonna be fine right?" Peter begged.

Erik closed his eyes. He wanted to tell his son that he was right and everything was going to be fine. That nothing was changing, that Logan had been mistaken in what he'd thought. More than anything, he wished that this wasn't happening.

She wasn't leaving him, no matter what Logan said. She couldn't. Lorna was his firstborn, the first sign that there had been something worthwhile in him, the impetus for change which had led him to his wife and the rest of his children.

_He knelt down in the snow._

_"If you're six," he said, "Then I'm your father."_

_Lorna's gaped at him. She looked up at Susanna, who nodded. He looked up at her as well._

_"And I know that I'm going to miss that train," Erik said._

Hot tears burned his eyes. His teeth ground together and, somewhere, he heard metal bending and screeching in the air. Erik blinked slightly, becoming aware of all of the metal pipes and infrastructure in the building. He heard Logan yell something, but he ignored them.

His daughter was dying in his arms. The bastard who had done this was still alive. Not for long though. Not for long.

* * *

April 22, 2008

Alex raced towards Scott, but he knew that there was no time to reach him, no time to send off a protective blast, no time for anything. His brother looked at him, and for a moment he could see the red light that they both shared, knew exactly what Scott was saying with his eyes.

"_Take your brother's hand. Keep close to each other. You should land in around the same place. Take care of each other."_

There was another blast, and his brother was gone. Alex stared for a moment, the last remnant of his soul flickering out. Suddenly a new pain started, and Alex looked down only to see a Sentinel's blade sticking through his chest.

It withdrew the blade, ready for another strike. Blood spluttering from his lips Alex turned and sent off a final bolt, blasting its head off. He sank to his knees then, his mind a swirl as his hands moved over his chest, part of him not believing it was finally happening.

Footsteps moved towards him. He blinked sluggishly and took a harsh breath. Someone grabbed him and dragged him towards the temple. He thought he saw the door open to let him in, but it seemed so far away.

Alex tried to take another breath, but it was so difficult now. The door opened and closed behind him in a flurry of metal pieces. Alex was lowered to the ground and he blinked, the lights in the tunnel allowing him to see his rescuer.

"Hey," he managed.

Erik crouched in front of him. He looked like he had been cut up badly, and Alex could vaguely remember a time when he would've been the one to do that.

"Saved a...dead man," he said.

"You didn't deserve to die out there," said Erik.

Alex just blinked.

"Scott...gone," he said.

More blood was coming through his lips. What little vision he had left was going.

"I know," Erik said.

"Both gone," muttered Alex, "Loved her."

"I know that too," whispered Erik.

He rallied, forcing himself to look Erik in the eye. There had been a different life that had been possible once.

_Her hands rested on the exposed skin of his chest. He gasped against her lips, but she leaned forward so that his lips never really left hers, and she heard him give a little moan. Their first kiss together, and he felt as though everything was changing. _

_His hands moved to her hair as she twined her arms around his neck. Alex's fingers moved through the green strands, making her shudder, but the same shudder passed through him. When they pulled apart her eyes met his and he fought for words to say._

_"You...I've never...I feel kind of like I'm breaking apart," Alex said, "And I really like it."_

_She smiled, her hands still around his neck._

_"Me too," Lorna said._

"I wanted it...wanted it...to be better," Alex said.

"It should have been," said Erik, "It might still be."

And then everything faded.


	33. Chapter 33

April 22, 1968

The ripping sound continued. Alex could see flecks of concrete flying in the air as the pipes were ripped from the building. He could hear Charles screaming from the front of the trunk, his fingers to his temples, asking what was going on. So far it seemed like there was no answer.

He pressed his face closer to the window. All of the robots seemed to be gone, but there was a ton of metal circling the roof of the building. Because of the profusion of metal-related activity, whatever was happening was caused by either Lorna or Erik. It didn't seem Lorna's style, but it didn't seem like Erik's either. They both had more control. Even if one of them was losing it, the other would stop them. There didn't appear to be any counter-effort.

That meant that something had gone horribly wrong.

"Screw this," he muttered.

Alex kicked open the door to the trunk and limped forward, aching everywhere. Hank, Raven, Azazel, and Todd were there, looking up at the building fearfully. He felt sorry for Todd: this world was so new to him, so overwhelming.

However, something was going wrong with Lorna. Everything else could take a back seat for the moment.

"What the hell is going on?" Alex asked.

"I have no clue," Hank said, "Has the Professor-?"

"He hasn't managed to make contact," said Alex, "Either that or they're not responding to him."

"What?" Raven demanded.

A pipe ripped out of the building next to them and raced upwards. He ducked down and covered his head until he was sure it had passed. Alex looked up again, his heart pounding painfully.

"Can we get up there?" he asked.

"I can't climb a building that's falling apart," Hank said.

"And Azazel definitely can't teleport in that," said Raven.

He was sick of her defending him.

"There has to be another way to-"

Something else ripped off the building. It sounded like someone had put rocks in a blender. Hank said something, but he couldn't hear him.

"What?"

"All of our flyers are on top of the building!" shouted Hank, "We can't get up there Alex!"

Alex looked at the top of the building again, his heart sinking even further. His lover and his friends were in danger at the top of the building, and he couldn't help.

* * *

April 22, 2008

Charles turned his head as Erik limped in. The look on his face sent a terrible pain into Charles's chest. There were very few people that could still illicit that much of a painful reaction on his old friend's face.

"Alex is gone, isn't he?" asked Charles.

Erik merely nodded. Despite the years of pain and battle, Erik had never quite forgotten that Alex had been engaged to his daughter. Charles suspected that it had made him go easy on Alex a few times, and that Alex had held back a little himself.

It was just another thing that they had lost. He turned away and looked at David. He'd ordered his son and Sharon inside just before they sealed the tunnel. David had supported her in: one of the Sentinels had cut a large gash across her leg. His son was bleeding from a wound that wound down his arm.

He'd wanted the rest to come in too, but he'd known that they couldn't. The stone walls offered only a flimsy shelter, one that would buy them only a few minutes. The heroic men and women standing outside were there to give them some extra time.

They would need David, Sharon, and Bobby to buy a few minutes more when that ran out. Perhaps they had only needed one or two of them for that, but Charles had selfishly wanted to die with his son and his son would have wanted to die by the woman he loved. His actions had allowed his son to grow up in a world of fear and war. The least he could do was give him a good death.

There was a banging noise on the door. He bit his lip and looked over at the three of them. Bobby left Kitty's side. Kitty's eyes flickered up to him, her expression desperate. He gave her a timid smile before looking at Sharon and David.

"Wait until I go down," he said.

Without another word he iced the floor beneath him, sliding down the hallway. Erik closed his eyes and clenched his fists.

"All those years wasted fighting each other," he murmured.

"Maybe not," said Charles.

His heart felt like it was shattering and falling, but it wasn't over yet. He looked over at Logan.

"There's still hope."

* * *

April 22, 1968

There was nothing left inside him. He was going to rip the building apart piece by piece. Erik could keep the building they were on up, but he could rip everything else apart. He could kill every single person in the entire facility.

His son was looking around, his eyes ablaze. Maybe he understood. If he did, then that was good. Lorna's breath was slowly becoming weaker, the light in her eyes was slowly fading. Her blood was pressing out all over his hands as he tried to put useless pressure on the wound.

Someone was going to pay for that. Everyone was going to pay for that.

_Erik! You can't do this!_

He glared at the sky, fighting his friend as desperately as he could. He knew that Charles would be able to overpower him after some time, but he had to keep him out of his mind as long as possible. He needed to destroy them for what they had done.

_It doesn't have to be this way!_

What did he know? His child was miles away, safe in the arms of his wife. Charles's own inability to tell him the truth had led Lorna into battle, into death. He couldn't even begin to understand the pain that was running through his soul.

He remembered his old ideas, his fear that humans might one day turn against them after they had worked so hard to protect them. He had worried that his daughters would grow up in a world that would hate their kind.

Those fears had taken a backburner to their mother's attack, to organizing the X-men. He saw now that he should have never forgotten. Erik had learned that lesson, was still learning that lesson as Lorna's blood soaked his jumpsuit. He would never forget it.

There was a roar. Erik didn't even turn. He just guided oe of the metal beams towards Logan, knocking him down. He jerked his head up and the metal beam twisted around him, holding him to the ground.

"You don't know what you're doing!" Logan roared, "You're killing us all!"

"No, I'm not," said Erik softly.

He raised his head upwards.

"I'm just killing them," he said.

* * *

April 22, 2008

The door shattered open. Charles heard the sound of something freezing, and then there was the sound of a gurgle. Kitty began to cry softly. Charles could see that his son was tensing, that he was getting ready to give his life. He grabbed Sharon's hand and the two of them had raced towards the door.

_David-_

_It's okay dad_, David thought, _I know...I know it hurts, but it's only going to be a few minutes. _

_David_, thought Charles, feeling as though he wanted to scream.

He wanted to tell him his doubts. Surely Logan would be back by then if things had gone well. They only had a few minutes to make everything right, and he didn't think that they could manage it. There just wasn't enough time, and he doubted if there had ever been enough time.

_I have faith in you._

Charles closed his eyes and tears fell down his cheeks. First his wife, then his son. Why did they always believe in him so much?

_I love you. _

_I love you too._

* * *

April 22, 1968

The world was becoming hazy around Lorna. She could feel her blood seeping out, and it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe. She wanted to cry out for help, but she wasn't even sure what would help.

She knew that she should have expected this. Logan had told her that she might die. She should have seen this coming, should have stayed down with Alex. It wasn't her though, hiding. Lorna's mother had always warned her that her stubbornness would get her into trouble. She was right. Again.

Lorna blearily looked around. Peter was sitting next to her father, who was holding her. If she looked hard she could just make out Wanda standing further away, red sparks dancing on her fingertips. If she was in better condition then she would've wondered what they were doing there with the rest of the X-men. In her current state it just seemed natural that they would be there. She had always wanted to die surrounded by her family after.

She blinked at Peter and saw something fierce and violent in his eyes. Lorna choked in another breath and saw her father. Suddenly she became aware of the way that metal was swirling violently in the air, that the other X-men were shouting at her father. This was wrong.

The image of the darkened sub in Cuba rose to her mind. Lorna took another painful gasp. No, no. This was not what she was going to see before she died. It just wasn't. She wanted to die in peace, to let the drowning feeling swallow her whole and carry her away. It would be so easy, so pleasant.

But she was stubborn. So she fought and struggled. One of her hands reached up and she brushed her father's face. It wasn't much, but it felt like a herculean effort. He continued to stare forward though: he hadn't felt it.

Then he looked down at Lorna, shocked. She struggled to speak, to find words to tell him what she needed to tell him. In the end, she could only muster up words that she had used once before, the last time she'd seen such murderous intent in his eyes.

"This...not our family," she said, blood trickling from her lips.

Her words were so faint that she worried he hadn't heard.

"Not...not..."

"Not us," he whispered.

She blinked in confirmation. He remembered. Hopefully he would once again make the decision that he had made so long ago, the one that had allowed them to stick together, to continue to be who they were.

"You promised," she choked out.

Lorna watched as her father looked around him, looked at the metal swirling. She could see black splotches at the edges of her vision. She wondered if it was just the night sky, or if it was time to go.

Suddenly the deafening noise was gone. The metal dropped and her father bowed his head.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you."

The black splotches were getting heavier, closer now.

"I chose," Lorna managed.

* * *

April 22, 2008

Charles felt it the minute his son died, felt David's thoughts spark with pain and before they were wrenched out of his mind. He had to bite back the crippling pain. He hadn't felt like this since he'd learned that the Sentinels had found a way to detect humans who had given birth to mutants. It was knowledge that had been bought at a high price, at the sight of his wife's corpse.

He pushed the thought away. David and Sharon had been together, he had managed to give them that small mercy. The pain was still intense, but he had to ignore it for a moment more. No matter what happened next, it wouldn't last very long. It was going to end soon, the pain, the fighting. He would see him again. He would see them all again.

He looked over at Erik, the same thought apparently going through his mind.

"Goodbye old friend," Erik said.

The Sentinels blasted into the room. Charles put up his hand in a pointless gesture to block the lasers that would consume everything in the room: him, Erik, Kitty, Logan, the last free members of their species, and the last hope in a dark world.

Then, suddenly, everything stopped. The room flickered and they disappeared.


	34. Chapter 34

April 22, 1968

Erik looked down at his daughter, his breathing harsh. The noise and burning rage was slipping away now, the pounding at his temples ending. He couldn't even bring himself to feel disgusted over his previous loss of control.

All he could feel was a sense of finality. The rage was gone, his desire to burn the world had fled, the fight was over. A strange sense of serenity was coming over him, shrouded by a crippling sadness.

Lorna's eyes were flickering, her lashes quivering as she fought to stay alive. He wondered just what was going through her head, or if all active thoughts had retreated to a path that her soul would soon follow. His little girl, his firstborn, was about to die.

"Don't worry," he murmured, "I'll be here until the end."

"No."

Erik looked up. Peter's eyes were watering, and he tentatively put a hand over Lorna's.

"We will," Peter said.

Pride for his son swelled within him at the words. It was a small comfort for what was going to come next, for the heartbreak that was going to cripple his wife and daughters' faces when they learned Lorna's fate. It was some comfort though, and comfort would soon be in short supply.

"No one is going anywhere. Excuse me dad."

Erik almost did a double take as Wanda knelt next to him, a cool confidence on her face. When had she gotten there? Was she wearing one of Lorna's head pieces? And why, for the love of God, was she smiling?

Wanda took Lorna's unresisting hand in hers.

"Lorna," Wanda said, "I just met you. I'm not ready for you to go yet."

Before Erik could ask what was going on, red sparks danced from her hands to Lorna's. In a matter of seconds the two of them were engulfed. He had to narrow his eyes to avoid being blinded. He heard Wanda give a short, pained, and frustrated gasp.

Erik reached out and touched Wanda's shoulder with his bare hand. He jerked his hand away at once: it felt as though his daughter was on fire. He could just make out blood pouring from her nose and onto her lips.

"Wanda," he said.

"Almost got it," Wanda muttered.

He looked to Peter, hoping that his son would know what was going on. Instead there was only puzzlement and a vague fear on his face. Erik was beginning to feel fear for his younger daughter as well.

Then Wanda let go. She began to fall down, but Peter was there in a second. He began wiping the blood from her nose with his sleeve, his expression worried. She seemed exhausted, but she was definitely still conscious.

"Idiot," muttered Peter, "What were you thinking?"

"You're the idiot," Wanda mumbled.

Erik took a sharp breath, a strange hope and confusion rising in him.

"Dad?"

He looked down. Lorna was looking at him, her eyes fully aware of her surroundings and her lips parted slightly. Her breathing had become normal and, as he looked, he could see where the wounds on her stomach had healed.

Erik grabbed Lorna and held her, his fingers clutching her back.

"I thought I'd lost you," he managed.

"I'm like you," Lorna said, "My family won't let me go."

They turned together and looked at Wanda. She seemed to have fallen asleep, but she was still breathing steadily and Peter didn't look worried. Her confidence before saving Lorna's life still troubled him though. A vague, sneaking suspicion was starting to steal its way into his mind.

_Erik, it's gone quiet up there. _

_Yes, it has,_ Erik thought, _It's over Charles. And before you ask, I haven't murdered anyone in cold blood this time either._

He knew the thought came out sharp, and was surprised at the way that Charles laughed in response.

_As long as you're still with us I believe that the future is secure. _

_Are you going to tell me what that means?_ Erik thought.

_Perhaps one day._

Erik sighed and shook his head. He glanced over to where he had trapped Logan. Perhaps he owed him an apology. However, when he looked, he saw that no one was there. The metal had been twisted and pulled away, almost as though an animal had escaped from a cage.

_Logan's gone,_ Erik thought.

_I wouldn't worry about that,_ Charles thought, _I have a feeling that we're going to be seeing him again in a few years. Right now we have to focus on getting home. We have wives, children, and students waiting for us._

Erik smiled. He helped Lorna up, but she seemed fine.

"I can stand on my own," she said, "I swear."

He looked at her and felt a lightness enter him, something different than anything he'd felt in years. There was just a feeling that he knew how everything was going to play out now, and it was going to play out beautifully. The last time he'd felt something like this had been when he'd married Susanna.

"I know," Erik said.

He looked over at Peter and crouched down in front of him.

"I can take Wanda," he said.

Peter shot a worried look towards his sister.

"I don't think she looks so good," he said.

While Erik didn't believe there was anything wrong, he took Wanda's pulse just to reassure his son.

"She's fine," he said.

Peter sighed and handed him Wanda. Erik got up and Peter stood next to Lorna, the two of them talking. He heard a mention of how they had found a fire escape on the other side of the building, how they had hidden in the truck. He would have to ground them for it later. Given the circumstances, perhaps it would only be for a week.

He got up and Wanda let out a little moan. She blinked and then smiled. Erik smiled back as the two of them walked to the edge of the building.

"Lorna's alright, isn't she?" Wanda asked.

"Yes," Erik said.

He lowered his voice.

"And I need to ask you something about that actually," he said.

Wanda cocked her head slightly.

"You saving Lorna was a miracle," he said, "But that's not the only miracle that's happened over the past few days."

His daughter tensed.

"It's not that big of a deal," she whispered.

"Yes, it is," Erik said, "And you were so confident that you could do it."

Her eyes widened. Although Erik already had his answer, he wanted her to say it herself.

"Did you bring my wife back?"

Wanda bit her lip, then nodded. He closed his eyes briefly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked.

"Because it was selfish," Wanda muttered.

Erik opened his eyes, waiting for her to explain. She Bit her lip even further.

"When I first did it," she said, "I thought...if I did, you would all love me. That Susanna would love me for doing it, for saving her. Then..."

She swallowed and Erik saw tears in her eyes.

"Then I met her, and you told me...you all already loved me," said Wanda, "I had tried to buy love, to find it, and that cheapened it. I didn't want anyone to know."

Erik laughed softly. For the first time in his life, he knew what Susanna would say in his position. She'd already said it to him.

"You're still as foolish as I was about love when I was your age," he said, "Just because you want it doesn't make you selfish. Right now it just means that you've helped fill the missing gaps in our family."

He kissed her forehead.

"I'm not sure I understand," Wanda said.

"It's alright," said Erik.

He looked over at Lorna and Peter. The two of them were getting ready to go off the edge of the building, and he saw the rest of the X-men who had remained on the roof running up, looking curious. His eyes remained on his two children.

Erik thought of the loving, amazing wife who was waiting for him because of the daughter in his arms who was so willing to love others. He thought of his youngest daughter, a girl who for some reason had never lost faith in him.

"We have the rest of our lives to figure it out," he said.

He had never looked forward to it more.

* * *

April 22, 2008

Logan woke up. His head was pounding. All he could remember was trying to make Erik understand that he was going to destroy everything. Now he was in a room and, for a split second, he had no idea where he was.

Then he realized: this was where he'd lived when the Institute was still standing. It had been a guest bedroom, but it seemed more lived in now. He could see his personal affects, signs that the occupant of the room had lived there for years.

He got out of bed, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. He even got dressed, still waiting for the dream to end. It hadn't when he walked into the hallway, feeling dazed. A class let out somewhere and students spilled into the hallway, chattering to each other excitedly.

Two boys shoved each other back and forth, one of them with black hair and the other with white. Twins, probably around eighteen. When they saw him they stopped and their faces suddenly became somber. The one with black hair nudged the one with the white.

"I'm sorry about yesterday in class," he said, "Please don't tell my mom."

"He'll clean your bike every day for a week," the other said.

"What? I never-" the other hissed.

"Tommy, it's either that or she hears and we don't start training until a month from now," the one with black hair said, "I don't want to deal with Uncle Steve's lecture for the fifth time in a row."

Tommy glared daggers at his brother.

"Right," he said.

He put his hand over his heart.

"I solemnly swear that I will clean your grotty bike for a week because Billy says I will," he said, "That work?"

Logan made a face and rolled his eyes. He had no idea who this kid was, but he was getting on his nerves. The last occupant of the classroom came out, a young man wearing gloves and a ponytail. He saw the two boys and sighed.

"Not as bad as it looks Max," Billy said.

"But still bad," Max said, "Guys, just head on down to the Professor's office, okay? We've only got a few minutes until the debate starts."

The two boys turned around. Tommy grinned sped off in a blur.

"Hey, wait up!" Billy yelled, running after him.

Max looked after them and shook his head. Logan still felt as though his world had been put in a blender and swirled around.

"Excuse my cousins, again," he said, "They just really want to go to New York this summer. You know how it is."

"Not really," Logan said, "And who the hell are you?"

Max raised his eyebrows.

"Max," he said.

Logan continued to stare blankly at him.

"Maximilian Bryan Summers," Max said, "Also known as, that dang Summers boy and Alex's boy a lot when I was younger."

Alex had had a son? Logan looked a little closer at the man in front of him, the truth of the situation finally slamming home. There had only ever been one woman in Alex's life, and the man in front of him bore her startling green eyes.

It appeared that Lorna had lived, that the hell he'd lived in for the past decade had washed away like so much filth. He let out a shuddering sigh: he hadn't failed, somehow it had all worked out.

When he looked back Max was giving him a concerned look.

"Have you been drinking again?" he asked.

Logan snorted and Max just nodded.

"Okay, you're out of it," he said, "Well, the debate is about to start, so you'd best hurry up."

"Debate?" Logan asked.

"Did you hit your head too?" Max asked, "Come on, we're burning daylight. Walk and talk."

He gestured behind him and Logan followed. It felt like he had no other choice.

"It's my aunt's," he said, "You know, Anya? Or have you forgotten her too?"

Logan forced a smile, and Max laughed.

"Right, come on," he said, "I want to see her rip Kelly a new one. I would've preferred to do that in person, but she only really had enough room for her parents and staff, so of course Sharon, David, Kurt, and Hank got to go. And then my parents and Aunt Wanda are doing security detail. Means I'm the one stuck babysitting my cousins, but it's not so bad."

He laughed again. Logan had the feeling that he did that a lot.

"Still though, Kelly right?" he said, "That's the best guy that the party could put up to fight her? If she's not president next month then I'll let SHIELD have my full name and address."

Logan felt like he was about to be sick. It was too much at once. He walked the familiar halls to the Professor's office, saw Bobby, Kitty, Rogue and Piotr head off to the living room talking about the debate. Rogue gave him a cheery wave, which he could barely return. He hadn't seen her in nearly twenty years.

Max opened the door to the Professor's office. Logan's heart nearly stopped when he saw Jean in the corner, talking to Scott. Peter was in the room, talking to Billy and Tommy. A young girl with silver-brown hair stood next to Peter and stuck her tongue out at Tommy. There was no mistaking who her father was.

The TV was on and Logan could barely even look at it. There were too many faces. Everywhere he saw people he'd never thought he would see again. Raven was in the corner with Azazel, the two of them laughing with their hands linked. Darwin was in the corner with Sean, discussing some of the finer points of foreign policy.

"Shut up!" Peter yelled, "She's on!"

All eyes turned to the TV. Logan watched, transfixed, as an older, confident Anya walked onto the stage. The camera zoomed around the audience and, for a moment, Logan saw Erik sitting next to Susanna. His hand rested on his wife's and, although he looked a little smug, there was a deep satisfaction and peace in his eyes that Logan had never seen before.

"You don't look so good."

He turned and saw Moira standing next to him, Charles right next to her. Logan swallowed.

"Think my past is starting to catch up with me," he said.

"Meaning?" Moira asked.

"Meaning I might need a refresher on the past forty years or so," he said.

Charles's eyes widened with understanding, even as Moira looked confused. Charles stepped forward and put his hand on Logan's shoulder. He knew. Somehow, he knew.

"Later," he said, "But for now, enjoy what you saved my friend."

It sounded like the understatement of the century.

"I intend to," Logan smirked.

* * *

_**A/N:** __I never intended to do a DOFP fix with this particular AU, but then again, the premise of Erik discovering that he'd left Susanna pregnant was only supposed to be a one shot. How things change. In the end, the possibilities of both plot arcs were too much to ignore. While this is the last story in this particular universe, and though I intend to take a two month break until I post again, this has probably been my favorite series to date._

_The concept of Erik as a husband and father isn't a new one. The comics have explored it, and I've written several stories about Lorna's complicated relationship with her father. Susanna has made some appearances, and I once had Quicksilver and The Scarlet Witch make a cameo. I've never used his entire family together though, and certainly not as fully fleshed-out characters as wonderfully intense and, at times, broken, as they are in the comics._

_Tommy, Billy, Max, and even Luna, the little girl with Quicksilver, are characters I've used before as Lorna and Alex's children in different stories. This time they go back to their original parents, except Max who was inspired by a character from 'The Exiles.'_

_I had to sneak my favorite pairings in there too: Erik/Susanna, Charles/Moira, Alex/Lorna and even a few references to some other couples. Alex has his own struggles too, which I thought made him an even better match for Lorna in this story. For those of you who haven't read my other stories and want to, don't read this next sentence. For the rest if you, Susanna's awakening was due to my desire to finally give her a happy ending._

_Now, shoutouts! Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed, including those of you I couldn't thank because you had private messaging disabled or signed in as a guest. A special thanks to DaniNatureGirl313, ZabuzasGirl, savedbygrace94, NicoleR85, Fanatic4Fiction, and DrangySmallfoot! See you all in two months!_


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